List of Israeli assassinations
Appearance
![]() | This article's factual accuracy is disputed. (February 2010) |
The following is a list of assassinations reported to have been conducted by the state of Israel. It includes attempts on noteworthy persons that were reported to have been specifically targeted by the various Israeli security, intelligence and law enforcement agencies. Some of the listed assassination were denied by Israel. Most fall within a series of campaigns, including Operation Wrath of God, launched as a response to the 1972 Munich massacre, Israeli actions in the wake of the al-Aqsa Intifada (2000–), and strikes during the 2008–2009 Gaza War. The policy of targeted killings is known in Hebrew as "focused foiling" (Hebrew: סיכול ממוקד sikul memukad).
1960s
Date | Place | Target | Description | Action | Assassin |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
February 23, 1965 | Montevideo, Uruguay | Herberts Cukurs | Aviator alleged to have been involved in the murders of Latvian Jews during the Holocaust | Lured to Montevideo by agents under the false pretense of starting an aviation business where he was then assassinated. | Mossad[1] |
1970s
Date | Place | Target | Description | Action | Assassin |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
1972 | Beirut | Attempted assassination of Bassam Abu Sharif | Member of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine who took part in the Dawson's Field hijackings | Lost four fingers, and was left deaf in one ear and blind in one eye, after a book sent to him that was implanted with a bomb exploded in his hands.[2][3] | Mossad[3] |
October 16, 1972 | Rome | Abdel Wael Zwaiter | Libyan embassy employee and PLO representative | Shot by two gunmen in his apartment.[4] | Mossad |
July 8, 1972 | Beirut | Ghassan Kanafani | Palestinian writer and a leading member of the PFLP | Assassinated by car bomb | Mossad |
December 8, 1972 | Paris | Dr. Mahmoud Hamshari | PLO representative in France | Killed by a bomb concealed in his telephone.[4] | |
January 24, 1973 | Nicosia | Hussein Al Bashir | Fatah representative in Nicosia, Cyprus. | Killed by a bomb planted in his hotel room bed.[4] | |
April 6, 1973 | Paris | Dr. Basil Al-Kubaissi | PFLP member and law professor at the American University of Beirut | Killed by two gunmen.[4] | |
April 9, 1973 | Beirut | Muhammad Youssef Al-Najjar | Black September Operations officer and PLO official | Killed during Operation Spring of Youth. | Sayeret Matkal |
April 9, 1973 | Beirut | Kamal Adwan | Fatah veteran | Killed during Operation Spring of Youth. | Sayeret Matkal |
April 9, 1973 | Beirut | Kamal Nasser | PLO spokesman | Killed during Operation Spring of Youth. | Sayeret Matkal |
April 11, 1973 | Athens | Zaiad Muchasi | Fatah representative to Cyprus | Killed in a hotel room.[4] | |
June 28, 1973 | Paris | Mohammad Boudia | Black September operations officer | Killed by a pressure activated mine under his car seat.[4] | |
July 21, 1973 | Lillehammer, Norway | Ali Hassan Salameh | high-ranked leader in the PLO and Black September | Ahmed Bouchiki, an innocent waiter believed to be Ali Hassan Salameh, is killed by gunmen. The incident has since become known as the Lillehammer affair. | Mossad |
March 28, 1978 | German Democratic Republic | Wadie Haddad | PFLP commander | Killed by a biologically-infected chocolate, sent by Mossad, which caused his death a month later. | Mossad |
July 26, 1979 | Cannes | Zuheir Mohsen | Leader of the pro-Syria as-Sa'iqa faction of the Palestine Liberation Organization | Shot in the front of Casino | Mossad |
January 22, 1979 | Beirut | Ali Hassan Salameh | high-ranked leader in the PLO and Black September | Killed by a car bomb[4] along with four bodyguards and four innocent bystanders. | Mossad |
1980s
Date | Place | Target | Description | Action | Executor |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
June 13, 1980 | Paris | Yehia El-Mashad | Egyptian nuclear scientist, lecturer at Alexandria University | Killed by Mossad agents in his room at the Méridien Hotel in Operation Sphinx.[5][6] Marie-Claude Magal, prostitute, client of Yehia al-Meshad, pushed under a car and killed in the Boulevard Saint-Germain.[7] | Mossad |
August 21, 1983 | Athens | Mamoun Meraish | Senior PLO official | Shot in his car by Mossad agents from their motorcycle.[8] | Mossad |
April 16, 1988 | Tunis | Abu Jihad | Second in command to Yassir Arafat | Killed in Tunis Raid.[4] | Israeli commandos |
1990s
Date | Place | Target | Description | Action | Executor |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
February 16, 1992 | Lebanon | Abbas al-Musawi | Secretary-General of Hezbollah | Killed in his car convoy by missiles launched from two Israeli helicopters.[4] | |
June 8, 1992 | Paris | Atef Bseiso | Palestinian official | Assassinated for involvement in the Munich Massacre. Shot several times in the head at point blank range by 2 gunmen after returning to his hotel for the night (Aaron Klein's "Striking Back") | Mossad |
October 26, 1995 | Sliema, Malta | Fathi Shaqaqi | Head of Palestinian Islamic Jihad | Shot and killed in front of the Diplomat Hotel.[4] | |
January 6, 1996 | Gaza strip | Yahya Ayyash | "The Engineer", a bombmaker for Hamas | Killed by a bomb planted in a cell phone.[4] | SHABAK. |
September 25, 1997 | Amman | Failed attempt to poison Khaled Mashaal | Hamas political leader | Two Mossad agents captured. Israel provided antidote after pressure by Clinton. Canada withdraws Ambassador. | Agents have Canadian passports. |
2000s
Date | Place | Target | Description | Action | Executor |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
November 22, 2000 | Gaza Strip | Jamal Abdel Raziq | Senior official of the Fatah faction Tanzim | Killed with his driver, Awni Dhuheir, when their car is fired upon by IDF troops in Gaza. Two innocent bystanders in the car in front of Abdel Raziq—Sami Abu Laban, 29, a baker, and Na'el Al Leddawi, 22, a student—also killed in the attack.[9][10] | IDF |
February 3, 2001 | Gaza Strip | Massoud Ayyad | Lieutenant-colonel in Force 17 | Killed while driving in the Jabaliya refugee camp by three helicopter launched rockets.[11] | |
July 31, 2001 | Jamal Mansour | High ranking official of Hamas' West Bank political wing | Killed when his office is struck by helicopter launched missiles.[12] | ||
August 20, 2001 | Hebron, West Bank | Imad Abu Sneneh | Leader of Tanzim | Shot and killed.[13] | Israeli undercover team |
August 27, 2001 | Ramallah, West Bank | Abu Ali Mustafa | Secretary General of the PFLP | Killed in his office by two missiles fired from an Apache helicopter. | IAF |
January 14, 2002 | Tulkarem, West Bank | Raed Karmi | Head of al-Aqsa Martyrs' Brigades | Killed by blast.[14] | |
July 22, 2002 | Salah Shahade | Leader of Hamas Izz ad-Din al-Qassam Brigades | Killed using 2,205 pound of explosive dropped by an F-16. The attack also killed his wife and 9 children. | ||
March 8, 2003 | Gaza City | Ibrahim al-Makadmeh | He and three of his aides were killed by helicopter-fired missiles | ||
August 21, 2003 | Ismail Abu Shanab | High ranking Hamas official[15] | |||
March 22, 2004 | Gaza Strip | Ahmed Yassin | Co-founder and leader of Hamas | He and bodyguards are killed in when hit by Israeli Air Force AH-64 Apache fired Hellfire missiles. | IAF |
April 17, 2004 | Abdel Aziz al-Rantissi | Co-founder and leader of Hamas and successor of Ahmed Yassin as leader of Hamas after his death | Killed by helicopter-fired missiles along with his son. | ||
October 21, 2004 | Gaza | Adnan al-Ghoul | Hamas weapons expert | He and Imad Abbas were killed when an Apache helicopter fired missiles at their car. | |
May 25, 2006 | Sidon, Lebanon | Mahmoud al-Majzoub | Commander of the Palestinian Islamic Jihad | Injured in a car bombing and died the next day. Islamic Jihad blamed Israel, though Israel denied it[16]. | |
June 8, 2006 | Jamal Abu Samhadana | Killed by an Israeli airstrike along with at least three other PRC members.[17][18] | |||
January 16, 2008 | Qabatiya, Westbank | Walid Obeidi | Commander of Islamic Jihad's al-Quds Brigade | Gunned down by Israeli commandos.[19] | IDF |
February 12, 2008 | Damascus | Imad Mughniyah | Top Hezbollah commander | Assassinated by a car bomb. Some news reports indicated the Mossad was responsible,[20] though Israel denied carrying it out.[21]. | |
August 1, 2008 | Muhammad Suleiman | Syrian General and top liaison between Syria and Hezbollah | Killed by sniper fire. Israel never takes credit for the killing but is widely suspected.[22][23] | ||
December 16, 2008 | Jenin, West Bank | Jihad Nawahda | Top Islamic Jihad commander | Ambushed and killed by undercover Israeli troops as he enters an internet cafe.[24] | |
January 1, 2009 | Nizar Rayan | Top Hamas military commander and decision maker | Assassinated in an Israeli air strike, along with his four wives and eleven of their children. He is the most senior Hamas member to be killed since 2004. | ||
January 3, 2009 | Abu Zakaria al-Jamal | Senior Hamas commander | Killed in an Israeli air strike.[25] | ||
January 15, 2009 | Jabalia | Said Seyam | Hamas Interior Minister | Killed in an Israeli air strike that also claimed his brother, his son, and Hamas general security services commander Salah Abu Shrakh.[26] | |
March 4, 2009 | Gaza Strip | Khaled Shalan | Senior member of Islamic Jihad | Killed in an Israeli air strike as retaliation for Palestinian rocket attacks on the Israeli city of Ashkelon.[27] | IAF |
May 27, 2009 | Dura, West Bank | Abd el-Majid Dudin | Major Hamas commander in West Bank | Killed by gunfire during an Israeli raid.[28] | YAMAM |
December 25, 2009 | Nablus, West Bank | Anan Subeh, Raed a-Sarkaji, Raghsan Abu Sharah | Al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigade | Killed in a raid by Sayeret Duvdevan over the murder of an Israeli civilian days earlier. [29] |
2010s
Date | Place | Target | Description | Action | Executor |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
January 19, 2010 | Dubai | Mahmoud al-Mabhouh | Hamas military commander | Widely reported to have been killed by Israeli intelligence members. Israel has stated that there is no proof of their involvement and have refused to either confirm or deny the allegations.[30] | Dubai police report that Israeli agents used French, British, Irish, and Dutch passports. |
References
- ^ Josifs S̆teimanis (2002). History of Latvian Jews (Illustrated, revised ed.). East European Monographs. ISBN 0880334932, 9780880334938.
{{cite book}}
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value: invalid character (help) - ^ BBC Article
- ^ a b Palestinians' Way Forward Al Jazeera English, June 19 2009
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k Israeli “Hits” On Terrorists, Jewish Virtual Library, last updated December 18, 2007. Retrieved December 24, 2007.
- ^ http://www.science.co.il/ilan-ramon/Osiraq.pdf Ford, Peter S., Major, USAF, "Israel's Attack on Osiraq: A Model for Future Preventive Strikes?", INSS Occasional Paper 59, USAF Institute for National Security Studies, USAF Academy, Colorado, July 2005, p. 15
- ^ Ostrovsky, Victor, "By Way of Deception: The Making and Unmaking of a Mossad Officer", St. Martin's Press, New York, 1990, p. 23
- ^ Ibid., p. 24
- ^ http://www.ynet.co.il/english/articles/0,7340,L-3550277,00.html "Agent Livni Makes British Headlines", YNet News, June 1, 2008. Retrieved 23/Oct/2008.
- ^ Country Reports on Human Rights Practices, Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor of the US State Department, February 23, 2001. Retrieved October 14, 2006.
- ^ Israel's death squads: A soldier's story, Donald Macintyre, The Independent, March 1, 2009. Retrieved March 3, 2009.
- ^ Philips, Alan. "Arafat aide killed in helicopter ambush", Telegraph, February 14, 2001. Retrieved October 14, 2006.
- ^ Profile: Hamas activist Jamal Mansour, BBC News, July 31, 2001. Retrieved October 14, 2006.
- ^ "Palestinian activist shot, killed", CNN, August 20, 2001. Retrieved October 14, 2006.
- ^ "Killing sparks fresh Mid-East violence". BBC News. 2002-01-14. Retrieved 2009-11-11.
- ^ http://www.mfa.gov.il/MFA/Government/Communiques/2003/Hamas+terrorist+Ismail+Abu+Shanab+-+21-Aug-2003.htm
- ^ PIWP database: Assassination of Majzoub brothers in Sidon
- ^ [1], Ha'aretz, 8 June 2006.
- ^ [2], Yediot Acharonot, 8 June
- ^ http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3494830,00.html
- ^ Mahnaimi, Uzi (2008-02-17). "Israel kills terror chief with headrest bomb". The Sunday Times. Retrieved 2008-03-28.
{{cite news}}
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suggested) (help) - ^ Powell, Robyn (2008-02-26). "Israel denies assassinating Hizbollah chief". The Telegraph. Retrieved 2008-03-28.
- ^ http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/1008004.html
- ^ [3]
- ^ Issacharoff, Avi (2008-12-16). "IDF troops kill top Islamic Jihad militant near Jenin". Haaretz. Retrieved 2008-12-28.
- ^ Katz, Yaakov (2009-01-03). "Tens of thousands of IDF combat reservists called up". The Jerusalem Post. Retrieved 2009-11-11.
- ^ http://www.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?cid=1231950866724&pagename=JPost%2FJPArticle%2FShowFull
- ^ "Israel kills Gaza rocket commander in air strike". Reuters. 2009-03-04. Retrieved 2009-11-11.
- ^ "Hamas vows to avenge terrorist's killing". The Jerusalem Post. 2009-05-28. Retrieved 2009-11-11.
- ^ http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/1137742.html
- ^ Israeli politician Livni hails Dubai Hamas killing, BBC News, 23 February 2010.