From Lebanon to Gaza: Israel reveals planning behind key assassinations

Report by Amal Shehadeh, English adaptation by Yasmine Jaroudi

As the Al-Aqsa Flood Operation approaches its third year, Israel has disclosed details of several high-profile targeted killings carried out during the war, including the assassination of Hezbollah Secretary-General Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah, Hezbollah Chief of Staff Fuad Shukr in Lebanon, and senior Hamas figures Mohammed Deif and Mohammed Sinwar in Gaza.

The revelations came from the head of Israel's special assassination unit, who described the operation against Nasrallah as the most complex, requiring years of planning. The decision to target him was made at the outbreak of the war, but significant operational challenges delayed the mission.

The attempt on Shukr was also fraught with difficulty; one failed operation reportedly occurred when he unexpectedly entered a bathroom, thwarting the planned strike. Multiple assassination attempts were carried out before the operation succeeded.

In Gaza, the Israeli official acknowledged that the killings of senior Hamas leaders Deif and Sinwar inevitably caused civilian casualties. Despite these losses, Israel maintained that these strikes were critical to its military objectives.

The conflict, now in its 728th day, has had a devastating toll on Gaza. 

According to local authorities, 66,225 people have been killed, including 20,000 children—over 1,000 of them infants—and 12,500 women. An additional 9,000 are reported missing, while more than 168,938 have been wounded. The war has also displaced approximately two million Palestinians within Gaza.