Israel's Assassinations of Hamas and Hezbollah Leaders Will Backfire

In recent weeks, Israel has been on an assassination spree, killing several high-profile Hamas and Hezbollah leaders in quick succession. Yet there is reason to believe these killings, widely celebrated as a show of power now, will serve to embolden these groups and prove harmful to Israel's se...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:The Washington report on Middle East affairs 2024-10, Vol.43 (6), p.43-OV_44
Main Author: Al-Marashi, Ibrahim
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Antiterrorism measures
Assassinations & assassination attempts
International aspects
Military technology
Political aspects
Political leadership
Power
Suicide bombings
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Summary:In recent weeks, Israel has been on an assassination spree, killing several high-profile Hamas and Hezbollah leaders in quick succession. Yet there is reason to believe these killings, widely celebrated as a show of power now, will serve to embolden these groups and prove harmful to Israel's security and the region's stability in the long term. The assassination of Ismail Haniyeh in Iran's capital, Tehran, on Wednesday, for example, silenced a moderating voice in the Hamas leadership an likely pushed the group to assume an even harder, less compromising stance against Israel. The head of the group's political wing, Haniyeh was widely seen as a pragmatic political operator. He had negotiated cease-fires in the past and was attempting to achieve another one before he was killed. They have seen in the past how a high level assassination can have a hardening effect on the group. Twenty years ago, in Mar 2004, Israel assassinated Hamas' aging, wheelchair-bound founder and spiritual leader, Sheikh Ahmed Yassin, as he was leaving a mosque in Gaza City after dawn prayers. Under Yassin's tutelage, Hamas was aligned with Saudi Arabia and had limited access to high-grade weaponry.
ISSN:8755-4917
2163-2782