IDF Arabic spokesman Avichay Adraee has said that in the past two days, there is increased indication that Mohammed Deif, leader of Hamas' military arm, was successfully eliminated in an IDF strike earlier this month.

In an interview with Sky News Arabic, Adraee said that while there is not yet any definite information regarding Deif, there is proof that his deputy, Rafa'a Salameh, was eliminated in the strike.

IDF spokesman Daniel Hagari also told Al-Arabiya that "the indications that Mohammed Deif was eliminated in the strike in Al-Mawasi are increasing."

On Friday, IDF spokesman Daniel Hagari clarified that "there are increasing signs that we succeeded in the elimination of Mohammed Deif. Rafa'a Salameh was certainly eliminated; Mohammed Deif and Salameh sat side-by-side during the strike. Hamas is hiding what happened to Deif."

In an Arabic-language recording, subtitled in Hebrew, between a Gazan man and woman, the two can be heard discussing the Israeli strike, with the woman asking whether the reports that Deif is dead are true, and the man answering in the affirmative. The woman then says, "May Allah help that it soon be the same for [Hamas leader Yahya] Sinwar."