The terrorist who Gazans dubbed "the man with nine lives" has been taken out by the IDF. Mohammad Deif, the mastermind behind Hamas' terror tunnels and the massacre of Oct. 7th, has reportedly been targeted in a successful IDF strike in the Khan Younis area. 

Initial reports claim Deif was above ground, something previously considered to be rare, and was positively identified and confirmed not to be surrounded by hostages.  He lived in a building in an open and forested area near civilian displacement tents.  Others were killed in the strike. The IDF claims that they weighed the risks of causing other casualties, and afterward, they believe that the other deaths consisted of mainly his security detail. 

Hamas has yet to confirm the death of the senior official and of course, claim that all the "martyrs" were innocent civilians. The IDF said "dozens", and Hamas says "hundreds" wounded or killed - an inflation that should surprise no one at this point.

Deif had been a mysterious figure that the IDF attempted to assassinate multiple times before. He reportedly lost an eye and sustained a leg injury from the other assassination attempts. His ability to survive these IDF strikes made him some sort of a legend among Gazans and Hamas. He remained unseen by the public and was reported to live underground in the tunnels. There were only two known photos of him. Deif means "guest" in Arabic and the name was given to him because it was said that he would stay in a different place each night to avoid Israeli intelligence. 

Deif was the co-mastermind of Oct. 7th with Yahya Sinwar and Marwan Issa. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu vowed to take the three out after the massacre. Issa was taken out in March; now only Sinwar remains. 

The victory comes on the heels of a reported agreement from Hamas for a new hostage deal. Hamas is at the end of their rope, whether they are willing to admit it or not. Perhaps finally agreeing to a deal after dozens of rounds of rejecting them this year shows that they are coming to grips with their reality. Of course, let's not assume too much intelligence on their part. If they were smart, they would have agreed a long time ago.

The elimination of Deif should be likened to the United States' elimination of Osama Bin Laden. Justice has been served, in part, on behalf of the victims of the Oct. 7th slaughter. All that remains now is to bring Sinwar to justice and rescue the remaining hostages. The IDF is closer now than ever to its goal of total victory. Netanyahu's persistence and perseverance have proved fruitful. 

Will this development throw the hostage deals off? With Hamas having so few pieces left to hold, will they change their mind about giving up their most precious bargaining chips- the innocent people they have kidnapped? Either the elimination of Deif will drive them desperately to complete the hostage deal or the exact opposite- cause them to call it off all together. 

Undoubtedly, there will be protests about the others killed in the strike that took out Deif. But if America had been faced with the same predicament when they took out Bin Laden, without thought the trigger would have still been pulled. Others were killed in the mission that eliminated Bin Laden too. This is the real world. A target this important could potentially lead to the end of the war. Justice for the entire Israeli nation hangs in the balance. 

The IDF is proving to be as determined and as powerful as we believed they were. This is a huge victory and could be a turning point in the war.