In the battle waged over the narrative of Operation Protective Edge (July-August 2014), in which both sides declared victory, it appears that the Palestinians have scored a significant achievement: Mohammed al-Deif, the Hamas chief of staff and No. 1 on Israel's "most wanted list" who has survived numerous assassination attempts, has survived this time as well. It is clear; no more question marks; the uncertainty has disappeared: Deif is alive.
Although it is not exactly known what condition he is in, it is clear that he survived the assault on Aug. 19, 2014, in the midst of the military campaign. During the campaign Israel was notified about a house where Deif was residing at the time, and an air force fighter plane struck the house with numerous powerful bombs, each of which weighing a single ton (2,000 pounds). "He'll never get out of there alive," senior Israeli security officials said at the time. But it seems they erred; Deif did, indeed, escape with his life.