In the cult classic
Taken, Neeson’s Brian Mills assures his daughter's kidnappers: “If you let my daughter go now, that'll be the end of it. I will not look for you. I will not pursue you. But if you don't, I will look for you, I will find you, and I will kill you."
On October 26, 19 days after the Oct 7 massacre, Israel Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, channeling his inner Brian Mills,
had vowed that “all Hamas members are dead men walking”. Before launching a massive grand incursion, he had vowed that the two main goals of the war were to eliminate Hamas’ military and governance capabilities and to do everything possible to get captives home.
He had said: “Israel is in the midst of a fight for our existence. All Hamas members are dead men walking — above and below ground, inside and outside Gaza.” Recent news reports show that Israel, much like it did after the Munich massacre with Operation Wrath of God, is hellbent on keeping its promise.
On Thursday, the Israeli Defence Forces said it had confirmed the death of Mohammed Deif, the head of Hamas’ military wing in an airstrike carried out in Gaza on July 13. Earlier, another airstrike in Tehran, allegedly carried out by Israel, killed Hamas’ top political leader, Ismail Haniyeh. Israel has not commented on its involvement on the Tehran strike. A couple of days earlier Fuad Shukr, Hezbollah’s seniormost military commander was killed in a strike in Beirut. Israeli officials claim that the militant commander was responsible for the deaths of 12 children and teens who were playing football, in a weekend rocket attack on Golan Heights, as well as the death of numerous other civilians.
Who was Mohammad Deif?
Deif was killed in an Israeli air strike in southern Gaza on July 13. However, there was no immediate confirmation from the Palestinian group. "We can now confirm: Mohammed Deif was eliminated," the Israeli military stated on Thursday. Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant described the event as "a significant milestone in the process of dismantling Hamas as a military and governing authority in Gaza."
Gallant further stated, "Hamas terrorists may either surrender or they will be eliminated. Israel’s defense establishment will pursue Hamas terrorists – both the planners and the perpetrators of the 07.10 massacre. We will not rest until this mission is accomplished," in a post on X.
Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich claimed that Hamas’s collapse was "closer than ever" following Deif’s killing. He added saying, "We must not stop a moment before victory," and said that the Israeli military would continue to target the group’s leaders until "we destroy them all."