The Guest
يا ضيفنا لو زرتنا لوجدتنا
نحن الضيوف وأنت رب المنزل
"O our guest, if you were to visit us, you would find
That we are the guests, and you are the master of the house."
Mohammad Diab Ibrahim Al-Masri (Abu Khaled), or most commonly known as Mohammed Deif — The Guest: A man who led the resistance from the shadows, his name chanted by millions, though little was known about him. But that didn’t matter. What mattered was that he was the shadow of the resistance, dedicating his life to the fight for freedom. And the people knew that.
Born in Gaza in 1965, Deif studied science at the Islamic University of Gaza. During his time there, he was active in religious, student, and humanitarian work—along with a passion for theater. In 1989, the occupation forces arrested him, detaining him without trial for 16 months on charges of working with Hamas’ military wing.
His release coincided with the rise of the Qassam Brigades, which had begun executing operations deep within the zionist entity. Deif moved to the West Bank alongside several Qassam leaders from Gaza, overseeing the formation of a West Bank branch. He rose to prominence after the assassination of Imad Aqel in 1993, and oversaw several successful operations against the occupation, including the capture of zionist soldier Nachshon Wachsman in 1994.
In the year 2000, he was arrested once again by the Palestinian Authority but managed to escape detention following the outbreak of the Second Intifada. This marked a significant turning point in the development of Hamas' military capabilities.
Mohammed Deif was appointed as the commander of the Al-Qassam Brigades in 2002. Upon taking leadership, he established a military training and development academy, later revealed after the occupation’s withdrawal from Gaza in 2005.
Deif is credited with numerous strategic successes for Al-Qassam, most notably in the field of missile development. Under his command, the Qassam Brigades transformed their arsenal—from primitive rockets with a few kilometers' range to missiles capable of reaching every occupied Palestinian city, from the far south to the north.
Mohammed Deif rarely appeared on media, the last being on the morning of October 7, 2023, when he announced Al-Aqsa Flood. He survived seven assassination attempts by the occupation, in 2001, 2002, 2003, 2006, 2014, and twice in 2021. He suffered burns, lost an eye, and, according to occupation claims, lost a leg and sustained arm injuries in another.
In 2014, another attempt on his life killed his wife, Widad Mustafa Harb Deif, and children including a his three-year-old daughter and his seven-month-old son, Ali. Yet, Deif remained committed to resistance.
Despite never revealing his face to the public, Deif became one of the most beloved and respected figures in the resistance. People from different countries and backgrounds pledged allegiance to him, for what he represented.
"Put the sword before the sword—we are the people of Mohammed Deif!"
He was nicknamed “the guest” because for decades, he slept in a different house every night, avoiding detection and assassination. The occupation threatened to kill him. The people answered: "Our homes are yours."
Mohammed Deif was the resistance as it is: from the people, for the people.
Glory to Mohammed Deif, the shadow of the resistance who remains for as long as its light keeps shining.
Abu Khaled, the guest, master of every home and every heart.
