How close is the dawn of the last day of the seventh month of 2024 AD, corresponding to the 25th of Muharram, 1446 AH, bearing a strong resemblance to the dawn of the first day of Safar, 1425 AH, which corresponded to 22 March 2004! On this dawn, Sheikh Ismail Haniyeh, the leader of the Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas), was martyred, joining his mentor, the martyr and founder of Hamas, Sheikh Ahmed Yassin, the first leader of Hamas. Both of them departed at dawn due to Zionist treacherous missiles—Yassin in Gaza and Haniyeh in Tehran. Twenty years separated their martyrdoms, during which the movement grew into a widespread current not only among the Palestinian people but also across the entire Ummah. It has proven to be resilient, no matter how many outstanding leaders were martyred, like Yassin and Rantisi, the leader and his deputy at that time, and Haniyeh and Al-Arouri, the leader and his deputy now, with a blessed convoy of martyrs in between, too many to list here.

Indeed, their martyrdom is a life for them, as stated in the Quran: “And never think of those who have been killed in the cause of Allah as dead. Rather, they are alive with their Lord, receiving provision. Rejoicing in what Allah has bestowed upon them of His bounty, and they receive good tidings about those [to be martyred] after them who have not yet joined them - that there will be no fear concerning them, nor will they grieve.” (Al-Imran: 169-170), and “And do not say about those who are killed in the way of Allah, 'They are dead.' Rather, they are alive, but you perceive it not.” (Al-Baqarah: 154) Just as they lived for Allah’s sake, they died in His path, which is the great success every believer aspires to.

Furthermore, their death is life for the Islamic Ummah, reviving its spirit anew. Their pure blood heals our ailing hearts, awakens them from prolonged coma, and recovers our lost dreams. It invigorates bodies that have become lethargic. Their blood is like rain that nourishes the veins of the Ummah with life, blooming it again and restoring its ancient glory. It is as if they are the renewers of this century, as narrated by Abu Huraira: The Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) said, “Allah will raise for this community at the end of every hundred years the one who will renovate its religion for it.” (narrated by Abu Dawood and authenticated by Al-Hakim; Al-Iraqi said its chain of narration is authentic). I believe their blood will be the fuel for the inevitable uprising of the Ummah.

Moreover, their death is a revival of human values and ethics and an awakening of the human conscience worldwide. People around the world have started to move against the Zionist entity, even demanding the liberation of all of Palestine, from the sea to the river. Haniyeh's last wish was for August 3rd to be an international day for supporting Gaza and the prisoners. So, free people everywhere, carry out this will!

O’ Ismail, martyrdom suits you as it suited your Sheikh, and we ask Allah the Almighty that it suits us as well.

O Allah, grant us a death that brings life to us, to our Ummah, and to humanity.

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Assassinations are considered an integral part of the security strategy of the Zionist entity's government, which has increased in frequency since the establishment of the Zionist entity in 1948. History has witnessed numerous massacres and assassinations targeting Palestinian leaders and opponents of the Zionist project both inside and outside of Palestine.

Prominent Assassinations in History

• Lord Moyne (1944): Lord Moyne, the British politician and businessman, was assassinated for not supporting the immigration of British Jews to Palestine.
• Count Bernadotte (1948): He was assassinated by Jewish gangs at the King David Hotel in Jerusalem due to his stance on the Palestinian-Israeli conflict.
• Coordination with the Gestapo: Groups affiliated with the Jewish Agency collaborated with the German Gestapo to assassinate a number of Jews to instill fear among them and push them to emigrate to Palestine. Similar operations occurred in Iraq and Egypt to drive Jews to emigrate, including the “Lavon Affair” scandal in Egypt in 1954.

Targeting Scientists

Nabawiyya Musa (1952): Assassinated in America.

Yahya El-Mashad (1980): Assassinated in Paris.

Said El-Sayed Bedair (1989): Assassinated in Alexandria.

Palestinian Assassinations

Israel has conducted assassinations against prominent Palestinian figures in various world capitals, including Cyprus, Paris, Rome, London, Athens, Vienna, Brussels, and Sofia. Assassinations were also carried out in Arab capitals like Beirut in 1973 and Tunis in 1988, as well as in Gaza and the West Bank.

Here are the most notable of these assassinations:

• July 8, 1972: Assassination of Ghassan Kanafani (member of the political bureau of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine and its official spokesperson) by a bomb placed in his car in the Hazmiyeh area of Lebanon, resulting in the martyrdom of Kanafani and his niece Lamis.
• October 17, 1972: Assassination of Wael Zwaiter (a Palestinian politician, writer, and diplomat) while serving as a representative of the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) in Rome, Italy. Mossad director Zvi Zamir participated in his assassination by firing 12 bullets at him from silenced pistols.
• December 8, 1972: Assassination of Dr. Mahmoud Hamshari (PLO representative in France and one of the early fighters in the Fatah movement) by a bomb placed next to his home telephone.
• April 9, 1973: Assassination of Ziad Wshahi in Cyprus by a car bomb.
• April 14, 1973: Assassination of three senior Fatah leaders in Beirut: Kamal Nasser, Kamal Adwan, and Mohammed Yousef Najjar, in an operation known as “Spring of Youth.”
• April 1973: Assassination of Moussa Abu Ziad in Athens by a bomb placed in his hotel room.
• June 10, 1973: Assassination of Abdul Hadi Naffa and Abdul Hamid Shibi in Rome by a car bomb.
• November 25, 1973: Assassination of Hussein Ali Abu Khair (PLO representative in Cyprus) in Nicosia by a bomb placed under his hotel bed by Mossad agents.
• February 2, 1977: Assassination of Mahmoud Walad Saleh (a PLO cadre) in Paris.
• August 2, 1978: Assassination of Dr. Ezzedine Kalak (PLO representative in France) in Paris.
• December 15, 1978: Assassination of Ibrahim Abdel Aziz (a Palestinian resistance activist in the occupied territories) in Cyprus.
• January 22, 1979: Assassination of Ali Hassan Salameh (a senior security official in the PLO, nicknamed “the Red Prince”) in Beirut.
• July 25, 1979: Assassination of Zuhair Mohsen (leader of the As-Sa'iqa Organization) in the French resort city of Cannes.
• February 18, 1980: Assassination of Youssef Mubarak (a Palestinian intellectual and fighter) in Paris.
• June 16, 1980: Assassination of Mohammed Taha (a security officer in Fatah) in Rome.
• June 1, 1981: Assassination of Naeem Khader (PLO representative in Belgium) in Brussels.
• November 10, 1981: Assassination of Tarek Salim (a Fatah cadre) by a bomb in Beirut.
• April 10, 1982: Assassination of Elias Atiya (a Fatah cadre), with his wife also being martyred.
• June 16, 1982: Assassination of Nazih Darwish outside the PLO office in Rome.
• June 17, 1982: Assassination of Kamal Hassan Abu Dalo, deputy director of the PLO office in Rome, and Aziz Matar, a Palestinian student at the University of Rome, who was shot in front of his home in Rome on the same day.
• July 23, 1982: Assassination of Fadl Saeed Al-Dani, deputy director of the PLO office in Paris.
• August 30, 1983: Assassination of Mamoun Shukri Merish in Athens, an assistant to Khalil Al-Wazir (Abu Jihad) responsible for external operations.
• December 22, 1983: Assassination of Jamil Abdul Qader Abu Rub (director of a commercial shipping company in Greece) in Athens.
• December 14, 1984: Assassination of Ismail Issa Darwish (a Fatah cadre working in the western sector responsible for the occupied territories) in Rome.
• June 9, 1986: Assassination of Khaled Nazzal (a member of the central committee of the Democratic Front) at the gate of a hotel in Rome by gunmen on a motorcycle.
• October 21, 1986: Assassination of Munther Judeh Abu Ghazaleh (commander of the Palestinian Navy and member of the Fatah Revolutionary Council and the PLO military council) in Athens.
• February 14, 1988: Assassination of Hamdi Sultan, Marwan Kayali, and Mohammed Hassan (three founders of the military wing of the Islamic Jihad Movement) in Cyprus.
• April 16, 1988: Assassination of Khalil Al-Wazir, nicknamed “Abu Jihad” (the second-in-command of Fatah and one of its founders along with Yasser Arafat and others) by an Israeli military operation at his residence in Tunis, the highest-ranking figure assassinated by Israel at that time.
• January 14, 1991: Assassination of Salah Khalaf, nicknamed “Abu Iyad” (head of the PLO security apparatuses and one of the prominent Fatah leaders) in Tunis, along with two of his aides, Fakhri Al-Omari (Abu Mohammed) and Hael Abdul Hamid (Abu Al-Hol).
• June 8, 1992: Assassination of Atef Bseiso (one of Abu Iyad's successors in leading the Palestinian security apparatus) in Paris.
• November 24, 1993: Killing of Imad Aqel (one of the founders of the military wing of Hamas) during a battle with Israeli soldiers who attacked him in the Shujaiya neighborhood of Gaza. During three years of military operations, he killed 11 Zionist officers and soldiers and injured over 30 others.
• June 23, 1994: Assassination of Nasser Salouha (a Hamas leader) in Gaza.
• November 2, 1994: Assassination of Hani Abed (a leader of the Islamic Jihad Movement) by a bomb planted in his car in Khan Yunis, central Gaza Strip.
• December 22, 1994: Assassination of Ibrahim Yaghi (a military official in the Izz ad-Din al-Qassam Brigades) outside his home in Jericho.
• April 2, 1995: Assassination of Kamal Kheil (one of the top leaders of the Al-Qassam Brigades) by bombing the apartment he was in, in Gaza.
• October 26, 1995: Assassination of Fathi Shikaki (founder and secretary-general of the Islamic Jihad Movement) in Malta by an Israeli commando group.
• January 5, 1996: Assassination of Yahya Ayyash (commander of the martyrdom operations in the Al-Qassam Brigades) in Beit Lahia, Gaza, by a bomb planted in the mobile phone he was using.
• September 25, 1997: Attempted assassination of Khaled Meshaal (head of Hamas' political bureau) in Amman, Jordan, by Mossad agents who tried to inject him with poison. The failed attempt led to strained relations between Jordan and Israel, resulting in the release of Hamas founder Sheikh Ahmed Yassin, who was imprisoned in Israel at the time.
• March 29, 1998: Assassination of Mohieddin Sharif (a leader of the Al-Qassam Brigades) by a car bomb.
• September 10, 1998: Assassination of Adel Awadallah (commander of the Al-Qassam Brigades in the West Bank) and his brother Emad Awadallah.
• November 23, 2000: Assassination of Ibrahim Bani Odeh (a leader of the Izz ad-Din al-Qassam Brigades in the West Bank) by a car bomb.
• December 31, 2000: Assassination of Thabet Thabet (Secretary of Fatah Movement in Tulkarm).
• July 25, 2001: Assassination of Salah Darwaza (a prominent Hamas leader in the West Bank).
• July 31, 2001: Assassination of Jamal Mansour (member of the political leadership of Hamas in the West Bank and one of the deportees from Marj al-Zohour in 1992) by Israeli airstrikes while he was at a press center. Also killed was Jamal Suleiman, a member of the political leadership of Hamas in the West Bank and one of the founders of the Palestine Scholars Association and its secretary.
• August 27, 2001: Assassination of Abu Ali Mustafa (Secretary-General of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine) in his office in Ramallah by two missiles fired by an Israeli Apache helicopter.
• October 22, 2001: Assassination of Ayman Halawa (a leader in the Izz ad-Din al-Qassam Brigades in Nablus) by Israeli aircraft.
• November 23, 2001: Assassination of Mahmoud Abu Hanoud (a prominent leader in the Izz ad-Din al-Qassam Brigades in the West Bank) by Israeli aircraft. He had previously survived an attempted assassination on August 23, 2000, in the village of Asira near Nablus, where he killed three Israeli soldiers.
• January 14, 2002: Assassination of Raed Karmi (commander of the Al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigades in Tulkarm) in Ramallah.
• January 22, 2002: Assassination of Yusuf al-Sourkji (commander of the Izz ad-Din al-Qassam Brigades in the West Bank) along with several of his associates in a raid by a special Israeli unit on an apartment in Nablus.
• April 2, 2002: Assassination of Mohamed Atwa Abdel Aal (a commander in the Al-Quds Brigades, the military wing of the Islamic Jihad Movement) by missiles fired by Israeli helicopters at his car in the Brazil neighborhood of Rafah.
• April 5, 2002: Assassination of Iyad Hardan (a commander in the Al-Quds Brigades) by a public telephone explosion in Jenin.
• April 23, 2002: Assassination of Marwan Zalloum (commander of the Al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigades in Hebron) by missiles fired by Israeli aircraft.
• April 26, 2002: Killing of Raed Nazzal (commander of the Abu Ali Mustafa Brigades in Qalqilya) during a battle with Israeli soldiers in Qalqilya.
• June 30, 2002: Killing of Mohannad al-Taher (a leader in the Izz ad-Din al-Qassam Brigades in the West Bank) along with his assistant Emad Darwaza during a battle with Israeli forces in Nablus.
• July 4, 2002: Assassination of Jihad al-Amarain (founder of the Al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigades in Gaza) by a bomb planted under the driver's seat of his car in the center of Gaza City.
• July 23, 2002: Assassination of Salah Shehadeh (the overall commander of the Izz ad-Din al-Qassam Brigades in Gaza) by an Israeli F-16 aircraft that dropped a ton bomb on an apartment building in Gaza where he was sleeping, resulting in the deaths of 15 Palestinians, including his wife, daughter, and aide Zahir Nassar, and injuring 174 others.
• August 14, 2002: Killing of Nasr Jarrar (a leader in the Izz ad-Din al-Qassam Brigades in the West Bank) during a battle with Israeli soldiers in Tubas.
• February 16, 2003: Assassination of Nidal Farhat (the chief engineer behind the “Qassam rockets” in Hamas) by a bomb planted by an Israeli agent in Gaza.
• March 8, 2003: Assassination of Ibrahim al-Maqadmeh (a prominent leader and thinker in Hamas) by two Israeli Apache helicopters firing five missiles at his car on Palestine Street in Sheikh Radwan neighborhood (Gaza City), killing him and three of his escorts.
• April 10, 2003: Assassination of Mahmoud al-Zatma (a commander in the Al-Quds Brigades) by Israeli missiles targeting his car on Palestine Street in Sheikh Radwan neighborhood (Gaza City).
• June 21, 2003: Assassination of Abdullah al-Qawasmi (commander of the al-Qassam Brigades in Hebron) by gunfire from an Israeli special forces unit while he was leaving a mosque in central Hebron.
• August 21, 2003: Assassination of Ismail Abu Shnab (member of the political leadership of Hamas in Gaza) by three Israeli aircraft firing five missiles at his car in Gaza.
• September 10, 2003: Assassination of Khaled Mahmoud al-Zahar (son of a prominent Hamas leader) by an aerial bombardment on his home in Gaza City, injuring his father Dr. Mahmoud al-Zahar, who was the intended target of the attack but survived.
• March 22, 2004: Assassination of Sheikh Ahmed Yassin (founder of Hamas and a leading figure in the Islamic revival in Palestine) by missiles fired by Israeli aircraft while he was in his wheelchair returning from Fajr prayer at a mosque in Gaza City.
• April 17, 2004: Assassination of Abdel Aziz al-Rantisi (one of the founders of Hamas and its leader after Sheikh Yassin's death) by an Israeli airstrike targeting his car in Gaza City. He had survived a previous airstrike about 14 months earlier.
• May 30, 2004: Assassination of Wael Nassar (a leader of the Qassam Brigades in Gaza) by an Israeli airstrike targeting his motorcycle on Salah al-Din Street in the center of Gaza City.
• September 26, 2004: Assassination of Izz al-Din Khalil (a Hamas leader) by a car bomb planted in front of his home in the Al-Zahira neighborhood of Damascus, Syria. The Hamas movement accuses the Israeli Mossad of carrying out the operation.
• October 21, 2004: Assassination of Adnan al-Ghul (chief engineer of the al-Qassam Brigades) by Israeli missiles targeting his car on Yafa Street in the center of Gaza City, after more than 14 years of mutual pursuit between him and the occupation.
• January 19, 2010: Assassination of Mahmoud al-Mabhouh (a leader in Hamas) by Israeli Mossad agents in a Dubai hotel in the United Arab Emirates.
• February 26, 2016: Assassination of Omar Nayef (a leader in the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine) in the Palestinian embassy in Bulgaria, with accusations directed at the Mossad for carrying out the assassination.
• December 15, 2016: Assassination of Mohamed Zouari, a Tunisian engineer who supervised the development of drone technology for the al-Qassam Brigades and played a key role in producing the Ababil-1 drone used by the al-Qassam movement for the first time in Operation Protective Edge, among other projects. He was assassinated by the Israeli Mossad in Sfax, Tunisia, in mid-December when two assassins intercepted his path with a small truck and intensely opened fire, with three bullets hitting his chest and head, causing his death.
• March 24, 2017: Assassination of Mazen Faqha, who was a leader in the Izz ad-Din al-Qassam Brigades in the West Bank. He had been imprisoned in Tel Aviv before being released in the “Wafa al-Ahrar” prisoner exchange deal but was assassinated by Israeli agents in Gaza City in the first quarter of 2017.
• April 21, 2018: Assassination of Fadi al-Batch, a Palestinian scientist from Jabalia in Gaza. He held a Ph.D. in Electrical Engineering, was a lecturer at the University of Kuala Lumpur, and held a patent for increasing the efficiency of electrical power networks, among other inventions. He was killed by two “unknown” assailants on a motorcycle who shot him ten times as he was heading to Fajr prayer. It was later revealed that the attackers were connected to the Israeli Mossad.
• November 12, 2019: Assassination of Baha Abu al-Ata, a prominent military and field leader of the Al-Quds Brigades, the military arm of the Islamic Jihad Movement in Gaza. He and his wife were killed in a focused missile strike that hit their home in the Shuja'iyya neighborhood of Gaza City, carried out by Israeli aircraft.
• November 27, 2020: Assassination of Mohsen Fakhrizadeh, an Iranian nuclear scientist often considered the top nuclear scientist in Iran and referred to as the “father of the Iranian nuclear program.” He was killed using a self-destructing gun placed in a truck by 20 agents, with varying accounts of the killing method. Tehran blamed the Israeli Mossad for the operation and vowed to retaliate.
• May 12, 2021: Assassination of Jamal al-Zabda, a mechanical engineer with a Ph.D. in mechanical engineering, specializing in civil aviation. He was in charge of developing rocket technology for the Izz ad-Din al-Qassam Brigades before being killed by the Israeli army on May 12 during the Gaza war known as Operation Sword of Jerusalem.
• May 11, 2022: Assassination of Shireen Abu Akleh, a Palestinian journalist working for Al Jazeera. She was killed by Israeli soldiers on the morning of May 11 while covering an incursion into Jenin. Her death sparked significant global outrage, and the investigation by the public prosecutor confirmed that Israeli soldiers stationed near her were responsible for her death.
• August 5, 2022: Assassination of Taysir al-Jabari, a prominent leader in the Islamic Jihad Movement, specifically the military commander for the northern region of the Al-Quds Brigades. He was killed by Israeli forces on the evening of August 7, 2022, in an attack that Tel Aviv referred to as Operation Dawn of Truth.
• August 7, 2022: Assassination of Khaled Mansour, another prominent leader in the Islamic Jihad Movement, serving as the military commander for the southern region of the Al-Quds Brigades. He was killed on the night of August 7 in an Israeli air raid targeting several homes in Rafah, with local civil defense confirming his death after hours of digging through the rubble.
• August 9, 2022: Assassination of Ibrahim al-Nabulsi, a prominent leader in the Al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigades and one of the key field commanders responsible for various attacks on Israeli forces in Nablus. He became one of the most wanted individuals by Tel Aviv. After two failed assassination attempts, Ibrahim was killed along with two companions by the Israeli army in a house they had sought refuge in, which was then struck by a shoulder-fired missile.
• March 23, 2023: Assassination of Amir Abu Khadijah, a prominent field commander in the West Bank cities, serving as the commander of the Tulkarm Battalion and founder of its Rapid Response Unit. He was on Israel's most-wanted list for orchestrating a series of attacks on Israeli settlements and military forces. After a prolonged chase, Israeli special forces, supported by undercover units, Shin Bet, and border police, assassinated him in a targeted operation that surrounded his fortified home in the Shufa suburb southern Tulkarm on the morning of March 23, 2023, coinciding with the first day of Ramadan.
• May 9, 2023: Assassination of Jihad al-Ghannam, a prominent leader in the Islamic Jihad Movement in Palestine, and the Secretary of the Al-Quds Brigades. He was killed in a joint operation by the Israeli army and Shin Bet, by an airstrike targeting his home in Rafah, resulting in his death along with his wife.
• May 9, 2023: Assassination of Khalil al-Bahthini, who was killed in the same operation that targeted Jihad al-Ghannam and a third leader, Tarek Muhammad Izz al-Din. Khalil was a prominent leader in the Islamic Jihad Movement, a member of its military council, and the northern region commander of the Al-Quds Brigades. He played a significant role in establishing the military media of the movement. Notably, Khalil succeeded Taysir al-Jabari, who was killed by Israel in 2022.
• May 9, 2023: Assassination of Tarek Izz al-Din, an Islamic Jihad leader during the military operation named Operation Shield of Defense. Tarek had been sentenced to life imprisonment by Tel Aviv since 2002 for his role in directing the Khadera operation (2001). He served about 13 years of his sentence before being released in the “Wafa al-Ahrar” prisoner exchange deal. Tarek was the head of the West Bank media office for the Islamic Jihad Movement, its spokesperson in the West Bank, and one of the prominent media faces of the Palestinian resistance, overseeing numerous military operations against Israel.
• May 11, 2023: Assassination of Ali al-Ghali, a member of the military council of the Al-Quds Brigades and the head of its rocket unit. He was killed on May 11, 2023, following an Israeli airstrike targeting his location in Khan Younis as part of Operation Shield of Defense. Tel Aviv had accused al-Ghali of participating in and directing rocket attacks on Israel.
• November 6, 2023: Assassination of Jihad Shihada, the commander of the “Tulkarm Battalion - Rapid Response” and one of its founders. He was one of Israel’s most-wanted individuals and was killed by Israeli special forces on the 31st day of Operation Al-Aqsa Flood.
• January 2, 2024: Assassination of Saleh al-Arouri in Beirut on the evening of Tuesday, January 2, 2024 (20 Jumada al-Thani 1445 AH), at the age of 57. He was killed 88 days after the start of Operation Al-Aqsa Flood, following an Israeli airstrike targeting a Hamas office in the Masharifah neighborhood of southern Beirut.
• March 18, 2024: Assassination of Faiq al-Mabhouh, head of the Operations Directorate of Hamas's Internal Security. He was killed during a gunfight with Israeli forces inside Al-Shifa Hospital in Gaza on Monday morning, March 18, 2024 (8 Ramadan 1445 AH).
• July 31, 2024: Assassination of Ismail Haniyeh, head of the Hamas Political Bureau, in an airstrike targeting his residence in Tehran, Iran. According to reports, Haniyeh was killed at 2 AM, hours after the assassination of Hezbollah leader Fouad Shukr in an Israeli airstrike in the southern suburbs, for which the Israeli army claimed responsibility.

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Sources:

• Wikipedia
• Aljazeera Net
• Assabeel
• Al-Masry Al-Youm
• Anadolu Agency
• The New Arab

Read the Article in Arabic

In addition to the crimes, genocide, and massacres committed collectively by the Zionist occupation against the Palestinian people, there are also individual crimes, such as assassinations. This means that the occupation spares no criminal means to inflict harm on the Palestinian people and seeks revenge on anyone who resists, both within Palestine and beyond.

The Zionist occupation adopts this criminal behavior based on a misguided belief that it can halt the resistance by targeting its symbols, leaders, and prominent figures, as they undoubtedly possess experience, credibility, and a historical legacy of resistance, making their loss a significant blow.

The Black History

When contemplating the criminal legacy of the Zionist entity, we find that assassination is deeply rooted as one of its means to destroy the resistance and attempt to halt its escalating momentum. Their black record of killing prophets stands as the primary roots that shaped and entrenched assassination as a tool they resort to when unable to confront those with rightful claims.

Among all the people of the Holy Books, the Jews have a long history of killing prophets, rightfully earning them the description of “killers of the prophets.” Allah says, “We had already taken the covenant of the Children of Israel and sent to them messengers. Whenever there came to them a messenger with what their souls did not desire, a party [of messengers] they denied, and another party they killed.” (Al-Ma'idah: 70) Ibn Abbas said: Among those who were belied were Muhammad and Jesus, and among those who were killed were Zechariah and Yahya. Al-Zajjaj said: As for denial, Jews and Christians share it, but as for killing, it is the Jews specialty. (Zaad Al-Maseer Fi 'Ilm At-Tafseer 1/570)

Expanding the Targeting

Throughout contemporary history, Zionist targeting through assassinations has expanded and extended along two paths:

• In terms of individuals, the Zionist targeting through assassinations has expanded to reach resistance fighters, politicians, scholars, intellectuals, journalists, and individuals from various factions. The list of names is endless, but it is enough to mention: Ghassan Kanafani, Naji al-Ali, Khalil al-Wazir, Emad Akel, Fathi Shaqaqi, Yahya Ayyash, Abu Ali Mustafa, Ahmed Yassin, Abdel Aziz al-Rantisi, Yasser Arafat, Nizar Rayan, all the way to Saleh al-Arouri (January 2, 2024), not to mention the assassination of scholars like Ali Moustafa Mosharafa, Yahya El Mashad, and Gamal Hamdan.
• In terms of locations, the arena for the crime of assassinations is not limited to the sacred land of Palestine but has extended to cities and capitals in Arab and Western countries, including London, Tunis, Dubai, Beirut, and Cairo.

This diversity in the targeted individuals and the crime scenes indicates that the entity has no restraint of law or ethics, and that viciousness and despicableness suit it well enough!

The audacity of assassinations has reached a point where the usurping entity, following the “Al-Aqsa Flood,” in an attempt to restore its trashed dignity, declared that it would pursue the leaders of the resistance in several countries. Contrary to that, they usually do not announce in advance or claim responsibility for assassinations.

The director of the “Israeli” Security Agency (Shin Bet), Ronen Bar, announced that “Israel” would pursue “Hamas” leaders in Qatar, Turkey, and Lebanon, even if it took years. He stated in a recording that was broadcasted by the “Israeli Public Broadcasting Corporation”: “The cabinet has set us a goal, which is to eliminate Hamas. This is our Munich. We will do it everywhere, in Gaza, the West Bank, Lebanon, Turkey, and Qatar. It may take a few years, but we are determined to carry it out.”

By mentioning Munich, he referred to “Israel's” response to the killing of 11 members of the “Israeli” Olympic team in 1972 when militants from the Palestinian “Black September” organization attacked the Munich Olympic Games. “Israel” retaliated by carrying out a targeted assassination campaign against activists and members of the organization in several countries over several years until they were all eliminated, and the file was closed. (RT Arabic, December 3, 2023).

The Resistance Will Never Stop!

As we have indicated, the occupation believes that through the dirty means of assassination, it can halt or hinder the resistance movement. However, the heroic history of struggle on Palestinian soil is the best evidence that, despite losing many of its leaders, the resistance, with Allah’s help, has been able to continue its path, develop its tools, and achieve qualitative performance advancements that undermine the occupier's aspirations to eliminate resistance by targeting its leaders and heroes.

The approach of the resistance prioritizes the idea, making it the principle and the starting point, while the individual, whether leaders or soldiers, carries the banner and targets a purpose. This clear equation makes the resistance a creative force that does not stop at the loss of its leaders—a significant loss, no doubt, and a high price—nor does it retreat from the path until the land and sanctities are liberated from the desecration of the usurping occupier.

The Quran has pointed out that the idea is fundamental, and it is not permissible to retreat from it even if its conveyer and bearer—the Messenger, peace be upon him—becomes absent due to death or killing. This is evident in the ayah: “Muhammad is not but a messenger. [Other] messengers have passed on before him. So if he was to die or be killed, would you turn back on your heels [to unbelief]? And he who turns back on his heels will never harm Allah at all; but Allah will reward the grateful.” (Aal-Imran: 144)

Therefore, the best way to honor the idea and the leaders is to carry the banner after them and follow their lead. This is how the resistance, with Allah’s help, disappoints the usurping occupation and proves how wrong its assumptions are!

Martyrdom Suits the Leaders

When we contemplate the crime of assassination from another perspective, one that is linked to these heroes who have dedicated themselves to Allah (SWT) and sacrificed their lives for their just cause and cherished sanctities, we find that this cowardly method used by the enemy grants leaders and heroes the most cherished of all rewards: martyrdom for the sake of Allah. Their pure blood fuels the liberation, nourishing the thirsty land to be cleansed of the occupation's desecration.

Martyrdom suits the leaders; it is the highest honor with which heroes conclude their lives after decades of sacrifice. It is, by the permission of Allah, a precious reward and an honorable badge from Allah the Almighty for what they have given and offered.

Here, I refer to a significant statement that reflects high ethics, noble meanings, and delicate sentiments, which the martyr Saleh al-Arouri responded with in one of his recent interviews (with the “Al Mayadeen” channel): When asked if his assassination could mean war, he replied, “Our blood and souls are not more precious or valuable than any martyr's. A martyr's mother should not feel that the blood of a leader or official is dearer or more precious than her own son's. We are equal. The martyr who preceded us by a day is better than us. I did not expect to live to this age. Martyrdom and meeting Allah are the great victories we hope to attain in life.”

He also said, “No one intimidates us with martyrdom because it is our constant supplication that our Lord accepts us as martyrs. If we become martyrs, we will walk in the footsteps of the honorable people of this nation. The choice of this nation (meaning Palestinians) is for them to become martyrs, and in Allah’s will, our Lord will accept us among these honorable and virtuous ones.”

These words overflow with noble character and the sincere participation of the resistance masses in their sacrifices with genuine feelings, without superiority. They convey that martyrdom is the ultimate goal sought by the mujahideen, even if the occupier may view it as a punishment that could halt the resistance, but its hopes and efforts are always in vain!

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