Israel's Strategic Strikes: Key Hamas Leaders Assassinated

A report by Nada Andraos, English adaptation by Nadine Sassine 

Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant published a photo showing him drawing an X mark over a picture of Hamas' second-in-command in the Gaza Strip, Mohammed Deif. Israel intentionally announced the assassination of Deif, which was officially confirmed by its army.

Hamas neither confirmed nor denied the news. Izzat al-Risheq, a member of Hamas' political bureau, stated that any such announcement is a matter for al-Qassam Brigades and the movement's leadership.

Nonetheless, Mohammed Deif is one of the key targets on Israel's hit list and has been on their wanted list for 25 years.

Israel attempted to assassinate him five times before the Gaza war and twice during the war. The first attempt failed, but Tel Aviv claims it succeeded in the second.

In the ongoing war, Israel has managed to deliver painful blows to Hamas, fulfilling its promise to eliminate the movement's political and military leaders.

The most severe of these blows was the assassination of the head of Hamas' political bureau, Ismail Haniyeh, in Tehran.

Earlier in the war, the first target on the assassination list was Saleh al-Arouri, the second-in-command of the movement, deputy head of the political bureau, and one of the founders of the Izz ad-Din al-Qassam Brigades, Hamas' military wing. Israel assassinated him in the heart of the southern suburbs of Beirut on January 2, 2024.

Israel also announced the assassination of Marwan Issa, deputy commander of the al-Qassam Brigades and a member of Hamas' political and military bureaus, in an airstrike in Nuseirat, central Gaza.

It is thus a war of assassinations, in which Israel appears to be ahead, at least technically and intelligence-wise.

Israel has eliminated its most prominent Hamas targets and now has its eyes on Yahya Sinwar. However, its real goal is to eradicate Hamas' military and political ideology hierarchically and among the populace.