The Hamas leader in Gaza, Yahya Sinwar, spent two decades in prison for killing Israeli soldiers. He was released in 2011 in a prisoner exchange and returned to Gaza.
Mr. Deif, the head of Hamas’s military wing, has not been seen publicly in years. Israel has tried to assassinate him repeatedly, possibly maiming him or blinding him in one eye. Israel bombed his home in 2014, killing his wife and infant son.
Hamas’s commitment to armed struggle distinguishes it from the Palestinian Authority, which was established during the peace process as a sort of Palestinian government in waiting and now has limited control over parts of the West Bank.
Hamas officials argue that the peace process has failed the Palestinians, leaving armed struggle, or resistance, as the only option.
In recent months, Hamas had faced rising discontent with its failure to improve living conditions in Gaza, where most residents are stuck, poverty is rife and power cuts are common.
