Exploring Israel’s History of Targeted Killings: Key Cases and Patterns
Recent strikes targeting militant leaders in Beirut and Tehran have intensified regional tensions and added to Israel’s history of targeted assassinations. The two recent attacks include the assassination of Hamas chief Ismail Haniyeh in Iran and an Israeli strike on Hezbollah commander Fouad Shukur in Beirut. These actions have heightened fears of a broader regional conflict amidst ongoing hostilities in Gaza.
Here’s a look at some notable targeted killings attributed to Israel over the years:
July 2024
Israel targets Mohammed Deif, a high-ranking Hamas military commander, in an airstrike in southern Gaza Strip. The strike results in at least 90 fatalities, including children. Deif’s fate remains unclear.
April 2024
Two Iranian generals are killed in what Iran claims was an Israeli strike on its consulate in Syria. In retaliation, Iran launches a large-scale missile and drone attack on Israeli territory, most of which are intercepted.
January 2024
An Israeli drone strike in Beirut kills Saleh Arouri, a senior Hamas official in exile, amidst ongoing Israeli-Gaza conflict.
December 2023
Seyed Razi Mousavi, an advisor to Iran’s Revolutionary Guard in Syria, is killed in a drone strike near Damascus. Iran accuses Israel of the attack.
2019
An Israeli airstrike on the home of Bahaa Abu el-Atta, a senior Islamic Jihad commander in Gaza, results in his death and that of his wife.
2012
Ahmad Jabari, head of Hamas’ armed wing, is killed by an Israeli airstrike targeting his car, sparking an eight-day war between Hamas and Israel.
2010
Mahmoud al-Mabhouh, a top Hamas operative, is assassinated in a Dubai hotel room in a Mossad operation that remains officially unacknowledged by Israel.
2008
Imad Mughniyeh, Hezbollah’s military chief, is killed in Damascus by a car bomb. Mughniyeh was known for his role in various attacks, including the 1985 hijacking of a TWA airliner.
2004
Ahmed Yassin, Hamas’s spiritual leader, is killed in an Israeli helicopter strike while in his wheelchair. His successor, Abdel Aziz Rantisi, is killed less than a month later.
2002
Salah Shehadeh, Hamas’s second-in-command military leader, is killed by a one-ton bomb dropped on his Gaza City apartment building.
1997
Mossad agents attempt to kill Hamas chief Khaled Mashaal in Jordan by poisoning him. Following international pressure, Israel provides an antidote, and the agents are returned.
1996
Yahya Ayyash, known as the “engineer” for his bomb-making skills for Hamas, is killed by a rigged phone in Gaza, leading to a series of retaliatory bus bombings in Israel.
1995
Fathi Shikaki, founder of Islamic Jihad, is assassinated in Malta. The operation is widely believed to be carried out by Israel.
1988
Khalil al-Wazir, also known as Abu Jihad and a key figure in the PLO, is killed in Tunisia. This operation was revealed by Israeli censors in 2012.
1973
Israeli commandos carry out a raid in Beirut, killing several PLO leaders including Kamal Adwan, Mohammed Youssef Najjar, and Kamal Nasser. This operation was in retaliation for the Munich Olympics massacre.
These targeted killings reflect Israel’s long-standing strategy of eliminating key figures deemed threats to its security.