Israel has hunted its prime Center East enemies. What has it achieved? : NPR

Israel’s shock assault in Qatar on Tuesday concentrating on Hamas’ prime political management didn’t kill any senior officers, in line with Hamas.

Nevertheless it was the most recent in an extended marketing campaign of focused assaults geared toward looking down Israel’s prime enemies for the reason that Hamas-led assault on Israel in 2023. Previously two years, Israel is understood to have carried out a string of focused strikes all through the Center East — in Gaza, Lebanon, Syria, Iran, Yemen, and now Qatar — in opposition to prime leaders of militant teams, and even Iranian officers themselves.

In Lebanon and Iran, these killings helped result in an finish of hostilities — for now. In Gaza and Yemen, they did little to carry an finish to battle.

Listed here are among the most distinguished figures Israel has killed within the area up to now two years.

Saleh Arouri, a Hamas chief killed in Lebanon

Arouri was the primary high-ranking Hamas chief to be killed by Israel overseas after the Oct. 7, 2023, assault.

Arouri served a few years in Israeli jail earlier than he was launched in a 2011 prisoner swap with Israel and despatched overseas. From exile, he coordinated Hamas assaults on Israel from the West Financial institution. Israel killed him in a strike in Lebanon in January 2024.

He was succeeded by Zaher Jabareen, whom Israel tried to kill in its Tuesday strike on Doha.

Mohammed Deif, Hamas’ elusive army chief

The highest commander of Hamas’ army wing in Gaza was an elusive determine and had lengthy been on Israel’s kill listing. A heavy Israeli strike on a tent camp for displaced individuals in Gaza killed him in July 2024. Round 90 different Palestinians are believed to have been killed in that strike, in line with Gaza well being officers. Hamas denied Deif’s loss of life for months and acknowledged it solely this yr.

Israel’s protection minister on the time referred to as Deif the “Osama bin Laden of Gaza” and mentioned his loss of life was “a big milestone within the strategy of dismantling Hamas as a army and governing authority in Gaza.”

Israel additionally killed Deif’s successor, Mohammed Sinwar, in Might of this yr, in a strike on a tunnel below a hospital in Khan Younis. His function is now held by Izzedin al-Haddad, who continues to command Hamas forces combating Israeli troops in Gaza.

Ismail Haniyeh and Yahya Sinwar, Hamas’ prime leaders

The top of Hamas’ political wing since 2017, Haniyeh left Gaza along with his household and different Hamas leaders in 2019 and moved to Doha. An Israeli explosion killed him in July 2024 in Tehran, the place he was attending the Iranian president’s inauguration.

Haniyeh was thought of to be amongst Hamas’ extra reasonable leaders, and was seen as extra amenable to negotiating a ceasefire take care of Israel.

He was changed by Yahya Sinwar, who had served as the top of Hamas within the Gaza Strip — a extra hardline chief, whom Israel accused of masterminding the Oct. 7 assault.

Sinwar was killed by Israeli troops in October 2024. Netanyahu referred to as his loss of life the “starting of the day after Hamas.” Practically one yr later, Hamas nonetheless survives.

Hassan Nasrallah, longtime Hezbollah chief, killed in Lebanon

On Sept. 27, 2024, the longtime chief of the Iran-backed Lebanese militia Hezbollah was killed by an Israeli strike on a secret underground Hezbollah facility in Beirut. President Joe Biden cautiously welcomed the killing, saying it delivered “a measure of justice” for hundreds of Nasrallah’s victims.

Nasrallah’s killing — together with Israel’s floor invasion of southern Lebanon and Israel’s exploding pagers maiming a whole lot of Hezbollah operatives — helped result in a ceasefire and an finish to heavy cross-border combating between Hezbollah and Israel. It additionally weakened Hezbollah, a robust ally of Syrian dictator Bashar al-Assad, resulting in the autumn of his regime.

Since then, Hezbollah has been engaged in negotiations with the Lebanese authorities about disarmament, whereas some Israeli troops stay in strategic positions in southern Lebanon and have continued periodic strikes on Hezbollah targets.

A prime Iranian army officer, killed in consulate in Syria

Mohammad Reza Zahedi, a prime Iranian basic within the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, was amongst senior Iranian army officers killed in an airstrike on the Iranian consulate in Damascus in April 2024.

Israel didn’t take duty, however Iran blamed Israel for the strike, and launched missiles at Israel that month in retaliation. It was the primary direct army confrontation between Iran and Israel, and it led to a full-blown battle between the international locations this yr.

Senior Iranian officers killed in shock Israeli blitz on Tehran

In June 2025, Israel launched a battle with Iran that started with a shock offensive concentrating on nuclear amenities and senior officers. Amongst these killed had been Hossein Salami, commander of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), Brig. Gen. Amir Ali Hajizadeh, head of the IRGC’s Aerospace Drive, and senior Iranian nuclear scientists.

The battle — which additionally drew within the U.S. with its bombing of Iranian nuclear websites and drew Iranian missile assaults on Israel — lasted 12 days earlier than the U.S. and Qatar brokered a ceasefire.

Since then, no direct army exchanges have taken place between Israel and Iran. However analysts estimate the strikes didn’t get rid of Iran’s enriched uranium stockpile and didn’t carry a couple of negotiated decision to stop Iran from creating nuclear weapons. Some analysts predict Israel and Iran could also be getting ready for an additional spherical of battle.

Houthi leaders killed in Yemen, however Houthi assaults proceed

In late August, Israel carried out an airstrike on Sana’a, the capital of Yemen, killing a lot of senior leaders of the Iranian-backed militant group that guidelines in Yemen’s capital. Amongst these killed was Houthi Prime Minister Ahmed al-Rahawi, together with a number of different senior ministers.

The strike was in retaliation to Houthi missile and drone assaults on Israel, considered one of which landed close to Israel’s worldwide airport in Might and led to airline cancellations. The Houthis have focused Israel in retaliation for its offensive in Gaza.

Following the August airstrike, Israel’s protection minister declared, “The Houthis will study the arduous method that anybody who threatens or harms Israel can pay many occasions over — and it’ll not be they who resolve when this ends.”

However Houthi and Israeli assaults haven’t stopped till this present day.

Bashir reported from Sheffield, England. Stern reported from Tel Aviv. NPR’s Daniel Estrin contributed to this report from Tel Aviv.