The Israel Defense Forces said Thursday that Mohammed Deif, a top Hamas military leader, was killed in Israeli strikes in Khan Younis, southern Gaza, in July. The news of Deif’s death came as thousands gathered in Iran for the funeral for Hamas political leader Ismail Haniyeh, who was assassinated Wednesday. Hamas and Iran both blamed Israel and vowed revenge, though Israel has declined to comment on the operation. At the funeral for senior Hezbollah commander Fuad Shukr, who was killed in an Israeli airstrike in Beirut, the militant group’s leader, Hasan Nasrallah, warned of a “new stage” in the conflict. Secretary of State Antony Blinken called on “all parties” to stop taking escalatory actions, for fear of the conflict spilling over into a region-wide war.
