Factbox: Which Hezbollah and Hamas Leaders Have Been Assassinated?

Israel Intensifies Airstrikes on Hezbollah Leaders Amid Ongoing Conflict

Israel has ramped up its airstrikes targeting Hezbollah commanders in Beirut as tensions escalate in the ongoing conflict with the Iran-backed Lebanese group. Below is a summary of key operations against leaders and commanders of Hezbollah and Hamas attributed to Israel.

HEZBOLLAH

• IBRAHIM QUBAISI
  An airstrike on the southern suburbs of Beirut on September 24 resulted in the death of Qubaisi, a commander and prominent figure in Hezbollah’s rocket division, according to security sources.

• IBRAHIM AQIL
  On September 20, another strike in Beirut’s southern suburbs killed Ibrahim Aqil, the operations commander for Hezbollah, who is associated with the group’s top military committee. Known by aliases such as Tahsin and Abdelqader, Aqil has been implicated by the United States in the 1983 truck bombings targeting the American embassy and the subsequent bombing of a U.S. Marine barracks.

• FUAD SHUKR
  An Israeli airstrike on July 30 took the life of Fuad Shukr, identified as a senior commander and the right-hand man of Hezbollah leader Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah. Shukr has been a key military figure in Hezbollah since its formation by Iran’s Revolutionary Guards over forty years ago. He was sanctioned by the U.S. in 2015 for his involvement in the 1983 Marine barracks bombing.

• MOHAMMED NASSER
  Mohammed Nasser was killed in an Israeli strike on July 3, with Israel stating he led a unit responsible for cross-border attacks from southwestern Lebanon. As a senior commander, Nasser played a significant role in Hezbollah’s operations in the border region.

• TALEB ABDALLAH
  On June 12, senior field commander Taleb Abdallah was killed in a strike attributed to Israel. He was targeted at a command center in southern Lebanon and was known to be equal in rank to Nasser, prompting Hezbollah to retaliate with a barrage of rockets directed at Israel.

HAMAS

• MOHAMMED DEIF
  Israel’s military announced that Deif was killed in a strike near Khan Younis in Gaza on July 13. Deif, who had survived multiple assassination attempts, is believed to have played a key role in Hamas’s October 7 attack on southern Israel, which ignited the latest conflict. His death has not been officially confirmed by Hamas.

• ISMAIL HANIYEH
  On July 31, Ismail Haniyeh was reportedly assassinated in Iran, as confirmed by the Palestinian militant group. Haniyeh was killed when a missile struck a state guesthouse where he was staying. Israel has not claimed responsibility for this attack.

• SALEH AL-AROURI
  In a drone strike on January 2, 2024, Saleh al-Arouri, the deputy head of Hamas and founder of its military wing, the Qassam Brigades, was killed in the southern suburbs of Beirut.

As the conflict continues, these operations reflect a significant escalation in Israel’s campaign against both Hezbollah and Hamas leaders.