In an exclusive interview, Al-Jazeera met the family of Mohammed al-Deif, the martyred Hamas military chief, who shared heartfelt memories of his life, struggle, and final will from a shelter in Gaza.
In an exclusive interview, Al-Jazeera met the family of Mohammed Al-Deif, the Chief of Staff of the Izz ad-Din al-Qassam Brigades—the military wing of Hamas—whose martyrdom was announced on Thursday.
The family, now displaced in a shelter east of Gaza City in the northern Gaza Strip, shared heartfelt memories of al-Deif, his legacy, and his final will.
On Thursday, the Al-Qassam Brigades, through their spokesman Abu Obeida, announced the martyrdom of Al-Deif, along with several prominent leaders from the movement’s Military Council.
The Deif family, like thousands of Palestinians, endures the hardships of displacement, hunger, and relentless bombing.
“An Icon of the Palestinian People”
Umm Khaled, Deif’s wife, recalled her husband’s nearly three-decade-long struggle, saying, “Abu Khaled is an icon of the Palestinian people and a bearer of the banner of Islam.”
“He was martyred in Khan Yunis, his hometown, but our consolation is that he attained martyrdom after years of struggle,” she continued.
Circulated video on social media showed the family of the general commander of the al-Qassam Brigade, martyr #MohammadDeif, living a simple life, contrary to what Israeli leaders and media claim about Palestinian leaders.#Palestine #Gaza#Hamas pic.twitter.com/fp7Frcvz0f
— Al Mayadeen English (@MayadeenEnglish) January 31, 2025
Reflecting on their modest life in the shelters, Umm Khaled emphasized that this was “our reality before and after the war.”
She noted that Deif lived like any soldier in the battalions, dedicating his life to “raising the word of God and restoring Jerusalem.”
‘Martyrdom is Not the End, But the Beginning’
Khaled, Al-Deif’s son, spoke about his last meeting with his father on October 6, sharing his father’s final will:
“His will was that I memorize the Quran and study it, and that we and our children continue on the path of liberation,” he told Al-Jazeera.
“My father taught us that martyrdom is not the end, but the beginning of a new journey,” Khaled added.
“He Was Our Soul”**
Deif’s daughter, Halima, tearfully recalled her memories with her father: “Despite his physical distance, he was present with us at every moment.”
“When I was sick, he was sick before me. We were his soul that never left him,” Halima said.
She described him as “a man who combined the generosity of a father with the enthusiasm of a mujahid (fighter).”
Daughter of the Chief of Staff of Al-Qassam Brigades, Commander Mohammed Deif, Halima, mourns her father, after his martyrdom was announced yesterday. pic.twitter.com/FLVl1OKANz
— The Palestine Chronicle (@PalestineChron) January 31, 2025
“His Soul Will Remain Immortal”
Deif’s mother-in-law, Umm Ibrahim Asfoura, also mourned her son-in-law with touching words: “Abu Khaled was a good man… honest, brave, and courageous.”
“His body has departed, but his soul will remain immortal with the martyrs in the highest heavens,” she added.
Umm Ibrahim prayed for him to “be a companion of the prophets and the truthful.”
When asked why the family remained in the shelters despite Deif’s status, Umm Khaled replied, “This has been our life since the beginning. We did not live a life of luxury, but like any fighter in the battalions.”
Mohammed Diab Ibrahim al-Masry, known as Mohammed al-Deif, was born in 1965 to a Palestinian refugee family forced to flee their town of Al-Qubayba in 1948.
On October 7, 2023, as the commander-in-chief of the Al-Qassam Brigades, he announced the start of Operation Al-Aqsa Flood, marking a significant moment in the Palestinian resistance.
(PC, AJA)
