Editing Mohammed Deif (section)

== Early militant career ==
Deif joined [[Hamas]] in 1987, weeks after its establishment during the [[First Intifada]] against the [[Israeli-occupied territories|Israeli occupation]].<ref name="freepressjournal20231012">{{Cite web |title=Who Is Mohammed Deif? Hamas' Elusive Commander Remains A Mystery Figure |url=https://www.freepressjournal.in/world/who-is-mohammed-deif-hamas-elusive-commander-remains-a-mystery-figure |access-date=19 November 2023 |website=Free Press Journal |language=en |archive-date=19 November 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231119162854/https://www.freepressjournal.in/world/who-is-mohammed-deif-hamas-elusive-commander-remains-a-mystery-figure |url-status=live }}</ref><ref name="afr20231026" /> He was arrested by Israeli authorities in 1989 for his involvement with the organization.<ref name="reuters20140820">{{Cite news |date=20 August 2014 |title=Has Hamas military chief, Mohammed Deif, escaped death again? |language=en |work=Reuters |url=https://www.reuters.com/article/mideast-gaza-deif-idINKBN0GK1PM20140820 |access-date=4 March 2023 |archive-date=4 March 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230304150014/https://www.reuters.com/article/mideast-gaza-deif-idINKBN0GK1PM20140820 |url-status=live |first1= Nidal |last1=Al-Mughrabi |first2=Maayan |last2=Lubell}}</ref> After 16 months of detention, he was released in a prisoner exchange. Soon after his release, he helped establish the [[Ezzedeen Al-Qassam Brigades|Ezzedeen al-Qassam Brigades]], the armed wing of Hamas.<ref name="afr20231026"/><ref name="aawsat20140828"/>

Deif was close to [[Emad Akel]] and [[Yahya Ayyash]], who were [[Targeted killing by Israel|assassinated by Israel]] in 1993 and 1996 respectively.<ref name="reuters20140820" /><ref name="bbc20210530" /> He trained with, and learnt bombmaking from, Ayyash.<ref name="france24-20231103" /><ref name="sky20231010">{{Cite web |title=Who is Mohammed Deif? The shadowy Hamas commander known as 'The Guest' |url=https://news.sky.com/story/who-is-mohammed-deif-the-shadowy-hamas-commander-known-as-the-guest-12981449 |access-date=17 November 2023 |website=Sky News |language=en |archive-date=13 October 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231013051026/https://news.sky.com/story/who-is-mohammed-deif-the-shadowy-hamas-commander-known-as-the-guest-12981449 |url-status=live |first=Josephine |last=Franks |date=10 October 2023}}</ref> After Ayyash's assassination, Deif reduced his profile to avoid being targeted.<ref name="washingtonpost20140802" /> During the 1990s and early 2000s, he was behind a number of suicide bombing attacks,<ref name="france24-20231010">{{Cite web |date=10 October 2023 |title=Mohammed Deif, the elusive architect of Hamas's attack on Israel |first=Sébastian |last=Seibt |url=https://www.france24.com/en/middle-east/20231010-mohammed-deif-the-elusive-architect-of-hamas-s-attack-on-israel |access-date=4 November 2023 |website=France 24 |language=en |archive-date=7 November 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231107225929/https://www.france24.com/en/middle-east/20231010-mohammed-deif-the-elusive-architect-of-hamas-s-attack-on-israel |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |last=Burke |first=Jason |author-link=Jason Burke |date=7 November 2023 |title=A deadly cascade: how secret Hamas attack orders were passed down at last minute |language=en-GB |work=The Guardian |url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2023/nov/07/secret-hamas-attack-orders-israel-gaza-7-october |access-date=7 November 2023 |issn=0261-3077 |archive-date=17 December 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231217072449/https://www.theguardian.com/world/2023/nov/07/secret-hamas-attack-orders-israel-gaza-7-october |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Israel's most wanted man: Who is Mohammed Deif, the military commander behind Hamas' attack |first=Suen Wai |last=Kit |date=10 October 2023 |url=https://www.channelnewsasia.com/world/hamas-military-commander-mohammed-deif-israel-israel-conflict-palestinian-war-gaza-strip-3833901 |access-date=21 November 2023 |website=Channel News Asia|language=en |archive-date=21 November 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231121201712/https://www.channelnewsasia.com/world/hamas-military-commander-mohammed-deif-israel-israel-conflict-palestinian-war-gaza-strip-3833901 |url-status=live }}</ref> including the 1996 [[Jaffa Road bus bombings]].<ref>{{Cite web |date=12 October 2023 |title=Who is Mohammed Deif? |url=https://www.nationthailand.com/world/middle-east-africa/40031841 |access-date=17 November 2023 |website=nationthailand |language=en |archive-date=17 November 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231117213432/https://www.nationthailand.com/world/middle-east-africa/40031841 |url-status=live }}</ref><ref name="cnbctv18-20231011">{{Cite web |date=11 October 2023 |title=Who is Mohammed Deif, the elusive Hamas commander behind the attack on Israel? |url=https://www.cnbctv18.com/world/mohammed-deif-the-elusive-hamas-commander-behind-attack-on-israel-18014481.htm |access-date=17 November 2023 |website=cnbctv18.com |language=en |archive-date=17 November 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231117222144/https://www.cnbctv18.com/world/mohammed-deif-the-elusive-hamas-commander-behind-attack-on-israel-18014481.htm |url-status=live }}</ref> He also oversaw the kidnappings and later killings of Israeli soldiers Shahar Simani, Aryeh Frankenthal, and [[Abduction and killing of Nachshon Wachsman|Nachshon Wachsman]] in the 1990s.<ref name=harel>{{Cite news |title=Who Is Mohammed Deif? |first=Amos |last=Harel |date=20 August 2014 |language=en |work=Haaretz |url=https://www.haaretz.com/2014-08-20/ty-article/.premium/who-is-mohammed-deif/0000017f-e6dd-dc7e-adff-f6fd68d10000 |access-date=4 March 2023 |archive-date=21 May 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230521062011/http://www.haaretz.com/2014-08-20/ty-article/.premium/who-is-mohammed-deif/0000017f-e6dd-dc7e-adff-f6fd68d10000 |url-status=live }}</ref>

In May 2000, Deif was arrested at Israel's request by the [[Palestinian National Authority]],<ref name="freepressjournal20231012" /><ref>{{Cite web |title=Hamas Says Fugitive Seized in Raid |url=https://apnews.com/article/810f701bf66775269b16d33958ea2d72 |access-date=5 March 2023 |website=AP NEWS |language=en |archive-date=5 March 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230305064325/https://apnews.com/article/810f701bf66775269b16d33958ea2d72 |url-status=dead |date=16 May 2000 |first=Dana |last=Budeiri}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |last=Hockstader |first=Lee |date=15 May 2000 |title=Terror Suspect Being Detained By Palestinians |language=en-US |newspaper=Washington Post |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/politics/2000/05/15/terror-suspect-being-detained-by-palestinians/4b4c15ba-f34b-4117-9aa9-871717404c8f/ |access-date=5 March 2023 |issn=0190-8286 |archive-date=28 August 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170828194244/https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/politics/2000/05/15/terror-suspect-being-detained-by-palestinians/4b4c15ba-f34b-4117-9aa9-871717404c8f/ |url-status=live }}</ref> but he escaped in December with assistance from some of his guards.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Hockstader |first=Lee |date=8 December 2000 |title=Key Militant Escapes From Palestinian Jail |language=en-US |newspaper=Washington Post |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/politics/2000/12/08/key-militant-escapes-from-palestinian-jail/e25d5acc-37e4-4de7-82f4-acfbb62ba722/ |access-date=5 March 2023 |issn=0190-8286}}</ref>

According to Israeli journalist [[Ronen Bergman]], Deif's campaign of massive retaliation and the failure of Israeli intelligence services to prevent it, was one of the factors that led to the defeat of Prime Minister [[Shimon Peres]] and the [[Israeli Labor Party]] in the [[1996 Israeli general election]] and the victory of the right-wing [[Likud]] party of [[Benjamin Netanyahu]], who opposed the [[Oslo peace process]]:

<blockquote>At the beginning of February, Peres was up twenty points in the polls over his opposition, the conservative hawk Benjamin "Bibi" Netanyahu. By the middle of March, Netanyahu had closed the gap significantly, and Peres led by only five percentage points. On May 29, Netanyahu won by 1 percent of the vote. This was all due to the terror attacks, which Peres simply couldn't stop. Yahya Ayyash's disciples had ensured the right wing's victory and "derailed the peace process," in the words of the deputy head of the [[Shin Bet]], [[Yisrael Hasson]].<ref name="Rise and Kill First">{{Cite book|url=https://theswissbay.ch/pdf/Books/Politics/Rise%20and%20Kill%20First%20The%20Secret%20History%20of%20Israel%E2%80%99s%20Targeted%20Assassinations%20by%20Ronen%20Bergman%20%28z-lib.org%29.pdf |title=Rise and Kill First |access-date=26 April 2024 |archive-date=12 March 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240312081550/https://theswissbay.ch/pdf/Books/Politics/Rise%20and%20Kill%20First%20The%20Secret%20History%20of%20Israel%E2%80%99s%20Targeted%20Assassinations%20by%20Ronen%20Bergman%20%28z-lib.org%29.pdf |url-status=live |page=409 |first=Ronen |last=Bergman |date=2018 |publisher=Random House Publishing |isbn=9780679604686}}</ref></blockquote>After Netanyahu got elected, attacks stopped, with some asserting that this was because [[Yasser Arafat]] clamped down on Hamas members, but Bergman insisting that the halt was because the short-term goal of the attacks was to stop the Oslo peace process, and Netanyahu was now working towards the same goal.<ref name="Rise and Kill First"/>