Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh was assassinated in Tehran early Wednesday, according to the Palestinian group. This attack has heightened fears of a broader conflict in a region already unsettled by the ongoing war in Gaza and escalating tensions in Lebanon.
Israel’s approach has long included targeting high-profile Hamas leaders and key operatives. Since the founding of Hamas in 1987 during the first Palestinian uprising, Israel has consistently aimed to disrupt the group’s leadership and operations. Here’s a historical overview of key Hamas figures targeted by Israel:
Yahya Ayyash
Nicknamed “The Engineer,” Ayyash was killed on January 5, 1996, in Gaza by a bomb concealed in his cellphone. While Palestinians blamed Israel for the attack, Israel did not take responsibility. In response, Hamas carried out a series of suicide bombings in Israeli cities, resulting in 59 deaths over nine days.
Khaled Meshaal
Former Hamas leader Khaled Meshaal was the target of a failed assassination attempt in Amman, Jordan, in 1997. Israeli agents injected him with poison in a botched operation ordered by then-Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. The incident led to a diplomatic crisis with Jordan, which demanded the antidote and threatened severe repercussions. Israel ultimately provided the antidote and agreed to release Sheikh Ahmed Yassin, another Hamas leader who was later assassinated.
Ahmed Yassin
Sheikh Ahmed Yassin, a co-founder and spiritual leader of Hamas, was killed on March 22, 2004, in Gaza City by a helicopter missile strike. His assassination followed a previous failed attempt in 2003. Yassin’s death sparked widespread Palestinian protests and condemnation from across the Muslim world, marking a significant escalation in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
Abdel-Aziz Al-Rantisi
Another key figure, Abdel-Aziz al-Rantissi, was killed by an Israeli missile strike on April 17, 2004. Al-Rantissi had recently taken over as Hamas leader following Yassin’s death. His assassination forced the Hamas leadership into hiding and further intensified the conflict.
Adnan Al-Ghoul
On October 21, 2004, Adnan Al-Ghoul, a prominent Hamas bomb-maker known as the “Father of the Qassam” rocket, was killed in an Israeli airstrike in Gaza City. Al-Ghoul was the second-in-command of Hamas’s military wing.
Nizar Rayyan
Rayyan, a cleric known for his hardline views and calls for renewed suicide bombings, was killed on January 1, 2009, in an Israeli airstrike on the Jabalya refugee camp. The strike also killed two of his wives and seven children. Shortly after, Israel also killed Hamas’s interior minister, Saeed Seyyam.
Saleh Al-Arouri
On January 2, 2024, Saleh Al-Arouri, the deputy Hamas chief and founder of the Qassam Brigades, was killed in an Israeli drone strike in Beirut’s southern suburbs.
Ismail Haniyeh
Most recently, Haniyeh was assassinated early Wednesday in Tehran. Iranian sources confirmed his death following a swearing-in ceremony for Iran’s new president. The attack reportedly involved an airborne projectile targeting Haniyeh’s residence in north Tehran.
These targeted actions reflect Israel’s ongoing strategy to disrupt Hamas leadership and diminish its operational capacity, continuing a long history of direct and indirect confrontations with the group.
