Israeli assassinations of Palestinians

Israel has killed more than 150 militants in targeted raids since fighting broke out in September 2000, according to Palestinian medical officials. That total includes militants killed resisting arrest.

Israel also has had a long history of assassinating those it considered to be terrorists before then.

Here are some of the most prominent strikes:¤

April 17, 2004: Abdel Aziz Rantisi, the leader of the Islamic Hamas movement, was killed by an Israeli missile strike on his car in Gaza. Rantisi’s son and a bodyguard were also killed.

March 22, 2004: Sheik Ahmed Yassin, the founder and spiritual leader of the Islamic Hamas movement, was killed by an Israeli missile in Gaza.

March 3, 2004: Three Hamas militants were killed in a missile attack on their car south west of Gaza City.

Feb 28, 2004: Three Islamic Jihad militants were killed in an Israeli missile attack in the Gaza Strip.

Feb 7, 2004: Two Palestinians were killed in a missile strike against an Islamic Jihad target in the Gaza Strip, including a 12-year-old boy.

Dec 25, 2003: Five Palestinians were killed in a Gaza rocket attack aimed at top Islamic Jihad leader Mekled Hamied. Hameid, two other Jihad militants and two bystanders were killed.

Oct 20, 2003: Fourteen Palestinians were killed in Israeli missile strike in Nusseirat refugee camp in Gaza, according to Palestinian count. The number of militants killed remains under dispute. Palestinians said two of the dead belonged to armed groups; Israeli military put the figure higher.

Sept 1, 2003: One Hamas member was killed by missile strike, one bystander died later of injuries. At least 25 others were wounded.

Aug 30, 2003: Two Palestinians, both members of Hamas, were killed by Israeli strike. Two bystanders were injured.

Aug 28, 2003: One Hamas activist was killed by missile strike in southern Gaza. Three others were injured.

Aug 26, 2003: Two Palestinian bystanders were killed in helicopter strike in Gaza City. Another bystander died the following week.

Aug 24, 2003: Four Palestinians, all Hamas activists, were killed in helicopter strike in Gaza City. More than a dozen bystanders were injured.

Aug 21, 2003: Three Hamas members, including prominent leader Ismail Abu Shanab and two bodyguards, were killed by helicopter missile strike. One bystander was killed, at least 15 others wounded.

June 2003: Rantisi was wounded in Israeli airstrike in Gaza.

March 2003: Ibrahim Makadmeh, senior Hamas strategist, was killed in Israeli airstrike in Gaza.

September 2002: Hamas commander Mohammed Deif was wounded in Israeli airstrike.

July 2002: Hamas commander Salah Shehadeh was killed with 14 others when Israeli plane drops one-ton bomb on his Gaza house.

January 2002: Raed Karmi, leader of Al Aqsa Martyrs’ Brigades in the West Bank, was killed in Israeli attack.

September 1997: Two Israeli Mossad agents were arrested in Jordan after botched effort to assassinate Hamas leader Khaled Mashaal.

January 1996: Hamas master bombmaker Yehiyeh Ayyash was killed in explosion of booby-trapped cell phone in Gaza. Israel was assumed responsible.

October 1995: Islamic Jihad leader Fathi Shakaki was killed by gunmen in Malta. Israel was assumed to be responsible but does not comment officially.

February 1992: Lebanese Hezbollah leader Sheik Abbas Musawi was killed in southern Lebanon in Israeli helicopter strike.

April 1988: Israeli agents assassinated Khalid al-Wazir (Abu Jihad), Yasser Arafat’s deputy in the PLO and commander of operations in West Bank.

January 1979: Israeli agents killed Ali Hassan Salameh in bomb explosion in Beirut. Salameh planned the 1972 attack in Munich that killed 11 members of Israeli Olympic team.

February 1973: Israeli commandos enter Beirut by sea and kill three senior PLO leaders. One of the commandos was Ehud Barak, later Israel’s prime minister. —AP

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