Historical Context of Targeted Assassinations
Since its inception in 1987, Hamas has been targeted by Israel in numerous assassination attempts against its leaders and operatives. The group’s first attacks on Israeli military targets occurred two years later, including the kidnapping and killing of two Israeli soldiers.
Key Hamas Figures Targeted by Israel
Yahya Ayyash
Nicknamed “The Engineer,” Yahya Ayyash was the mastermind behind a series of Palestinian suicide bombings. He was killed on January 5, 1996, when his cellphone exploded. While Israel did not take responsibility, Palestinians blamed the country, leading to retaliatory attacks by Hamas.
Khaled Meshaal
In 1997, former Hamas leader Khaled Meshaal survived a botched assassination attempt when Israeli agents injected him with poison in Amman, Jordan. The incident, ordered by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, led to diplomatic tensions with Jordan, which demanded the antidote and threatened to scrap its peace treaty with Israel.
Ahmed Yassin
Sheikh Ahmed Yassin, the quadriplegic co-founder and spiritual leader of Hamas, was killed by an Israeli helicopter missile strike on March 22, 2004, as he left a mosque in Gaza City. His death sparked widespread protests and calls for revenge from Palestinians.
Abdel-Aziz al-Rantissi
Hamas leader Abdel-Aziz al-Rantissi was killed on April 17, 2004, in an Israeli helicopter missile strike. His assassination came shortly after he took over as Hamas leader in Gaza following the killing of Ahmed Yassin.
Adnan al-Ghoul
Adnan al-Ghoul, known as the “Father of the Qassam” rocket, was killed in an Israeli airstrike on October 21, 2004. He was the second-in-command of Hamas’ military wing.
Nizar Rayyan
Nizar Rayyan, a hardline Hamas political leader, was killed along with two of his wives and seven children in an Israeli bombing on January 1, 2009. Days later, Hamas’ Interior Minister Saeed Seyyam was also killed in an Israeli airstrike.
Saleh al-Arouri
Deputy Hamas chief Saleh al-Arouri was killed by an Israeli drone strike in Beirut on January 2, 2024. Arouri was also the founder of Hamas’ military wing, the Qassam Brigades.
Ismail Haniyeh
Ismail Haniyeh was killed by a missile strike in Iran, confirmed by Iran’s Revolutionary Guards. Haniyeh was a senior Hamas leader and his death has been attributed to an airborne projectile.
The Israeli military’s recent announcement of Mohammed Deif’s death underscores its continued strategy of targeting Hamas leaders. Deif’s death, following multiple assassination attempts, highlights the high stakes and ongoing violence in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, particularly in the context of the current Gaza war.