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Israel’s Assassinations in Beirut: From Bullets, Bombs to Aircraft

Lebanese civil defense personnel stand in front of the building targeted by a drone strike in Beirut’s southern suburbs, leading to the assassination of Saleh al-Arouri (AP)
Lebanese civil defense personnel stand in front of the building targeted by a drone strike in Beirut’s southern suburbs, leading to the assassination of Saleh al-Arouri (AP)
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Israel’s Assassinations in Beirut: From Bullets, Bombs to Aircraft

Lebanese civil defense personnel stand in front of the building targeted by a drone strike in Beirut’s southern suburbs, leading to the assassination of Saleh al-Arouri (AP)
Lebanese civil defense personnel stand in front of the building targeted by a drone strike in Beirut’s southern suburbs, leading to the assassination of Saleh al-Arouri (AP)

Israel’s history of assassinating Palestinian leaders in Beirut dates back to the 1970s when some sought refuge in the Lebanese capital.

Over the years, the methods employed in these operations have evolved from gunfire and bombings to the use of aircraft and drones, as suspected, in the assassination of Hamas deputy leader Saleh al-Arouri on Tuesday evening.

The first targeted assassination by Israel in Lebanon was that of the Palestinian novelist and politician Ghassan Kanafani.

He was a member of the political bureau and the official spokesperson for the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine.

The operation took place on July 8, 1972, in Beirut, involving a bomb planted in Kanafani’s car that led to his death.

Approximately a year after Kanafani, “Operation Fardan” was executed in 1973 as a response to the actions carried out by armed Palestinian organizations, including the hijacking of planes to demand the release of prisoners in Israeli jails.

Additionally, it was in response to the Palestinian Black September group kidnapping 11 Israeli athletes in Munich in 1972. The incident ended in the death of both the kidnappers and hostages.

Subsequently, Israel decided to escalate its assassination efforts by targeting Palestinian leaders, specifically the leaders of the Black September group.

On April 10, 1973, Israel carried out an assassination operation in Beirut, led by former Prime Minister Ehud Barak, targeting three Palestinian leaders: Kamal Nasser, Kamal Adwan, and Mohammed Yusuf al-Najjar.

An Israeli military commando unit infiltrated Beirut by sea, successfully detonating a building belonging to the Democratic Front for the Liberation of Palestine.

This operation had political repercussions in Lebanon, leading the then Prime Minister, Saeb Salam, to resign amid accusations of failing to protect Palestinians.

As part of this series of assassinations, Israel executed an operation in Beirut in January 1979, targeting Ali Hassan Salameh, a leader in the Palestine Liberation Organization and the Black September group, known as the “Red Prince.”

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Ankara: Assad Does Not Want Peace in Syria

Fidan addresses the Planning and Budget Committee of the Turkish Parliament (Turkish Foreign Ministry)
Fidan addresses the Planning and Budget Committee of the Turkish Parliament (Turkish Foreign Ministry)
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Ankara: Assad Does Not Want Peace in Syria

Fidan addresses the Planning and Budget Committee of the Turkish Parliament (Turkish Foreign Ministry)
Fidan addresses the Planning and Budget Committee of the Turkish Parliament (Turkish Foreign Ministry)

Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan has stated that Syrian President Bashar al-Assad is unwilling to pursue peace in Syria and warned that Israel’s efforts to spread war across the Middle East are undermining the environment fostered by the Astana Process.

Fidan emphasized the importance of Russian and Iranian efforts within the framework of the Astana Process to maintain calm on the ground, pointing to ongoing consultations with the US regarding the Syrian crisis.

Speaking during a parliamentary session discussing the 2025 budget of the Foreign Ministry, Fidan reiterated Türkiye’s expectation that the dialogue proposed by President Recep Tayyip Erdogan will be approached strategically by the Syrian government, with priority given to the interests of the Syrian people.

Regarding Erdogan’s invitation to Assad for a meeting to discuss the normalization of ties between Ankara and Damascus, Fidan remarked that the matter depends on political will, stressing that the Turkish president has demonstrated his readiness at the highest level.

Last week, Erdogan reiterated the possibility of a meeting with Assad, but Russia, which mediates the normalization talks between Ankara and Damascus, ruled out such a meeting or high-level engagements in the near future.

Russian Presidential Envoy to Syria Alexander Lavrentiev attributed the impasse to Türkiye’s refusal to meet Damascus’ demand for a withdrawal from northern Syria, accusing Ankara of acting as an “occupying state”.

Although Türkiye has not officially responded to Lavrentiev’s comments, which reflect a shift in Russia’s stance, Fidan stated in a televised interview last week that Russia remains “somewhat neutral” regarding the normalization process. He also urged the Syrian government to create conditions for the return of 10 million Syrian refugees.

Türkiye maintains that its military presence in northern Syria prevents the country’s division, blocks the establishment of a “terror corridor” along its southern border, and deters new waves of refugees from entering its territory.

Fidan outlined his country’s key objectives in Syria, which include eradicating terrorist groups (such as the Kurdistan Workers’ Party and the Syrian Democratic Forces), preserving Syria’s territorial unity, advancing the political process, and ensuring the safe and voluntary return of Syrian refugees.

Meanwhile, Turkish artillery targeted villages and positions controlled by the Manbij Military Council, affiliated with the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), whose main component is the People’s Protection Units (YPG).

On Friday, fierce clashes erupted between the Syrian National Army factions and the SDF in western Tel Abyad, northern Raqqa. Simultaneously, Turkish artillery strikes reportedly killed two SDF members and injured others, with reports of captives and missing personnel.

In retaliation, the SDF shelled Turkish bases in the Ain Issa countryside. Turkish forces responded by deploying military reinforcements amid heightened alert at their bases in Raqqa’s countryside, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR).