At least 39 ‘axis of resistance’ senior members and commanders killed since 7 October
In a significant development, Hamas political leader Ismail Haniyeh was killed in Tehran on 31 July in an attack attributed to Israel,1Ronen Bergman, Mark Mazzetti, and Farnaz Fassihi, ‘Bomb Smuggled Into Tehran Guesthouse Months Ago Killed Hamas Leader,’ New York Times, 1 August 2024 just a day after Israel claimed responsibility for the death of a top Hezbollah commander in the south of Beirut. Following the 7 October attacks that killed around 1,200 Israelis, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) have killed dozens of Hamas senior figures and commanders during their intense campaign in Gaza. But also beyond Gaza, Israel has targeted senior figures of Hamas and other allied members of the ‘axis of resistance.’ The recent events mark the latest in a series of at least 34 Israeli attacks that have led to the death of at least 39 commanders and senior members of Hamas, Hezbollah, and the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) in Lebanon, Syria, and Iran in the past 10 months (see graph and map below).
Israel has a long history of assassinating its adversaries. Since last October, these targeted killings have significantly escalated tensions. Notably, Iran launched an unprecedented attack on Israel in retaliation for an Israeli airstrike on the Iranian embassy complex in Syria that killed two senior IRGC commanders on 1 April, and Hezbollah issued its largest salvos of rockets into Israel since 7 October after the killing of two of its top commanders on 12 June and 3 July.
It is unlikely that the elimination of commanders and senior leaders of the axis of resistance will be a decisive factor in ending the current conflicts along Israel’s southern and northern borders or pose an existential threat to Israel’s adversaries. With a ceasefire agreement that could secure the release of Israeli hostages now even more distant, the current assassinations have brought the region even closer to the brink of a war that could have devastating consequences for the Middle East and beyond.
Visuals produced by Ana Marco.
