Never underestimate Israel. Hamas’s October 7th atrocities followed by Iran’s drone and Hezbollah’s missile attacks defined existential threats. Israel never fails to respond in defense of their country.
Lex Talionis, the law of retribution, is in their DNA. In recent days, they have eliminated three top HVTs, high-value targets. Israel’s security services and military, the IDF, Shin Bet, and Mossad, have an astounding payback record and they sent a clear message.
Mohammed Deif, the most senior Hamas Brigade commander, responsible for Oct 7th atrocity was taken out with a 2000-pound bomb in a Gaza airstrike. He’d escaped multiple assassination attempts over the past two decades.
Fuad Shukr, a top Hezbollah commander, was eliminated in a missile airstrike days later in Beirut, Lebanon. He ordered the recent rocket attack that killed twelve Druze school children playing soccer in the Golan Heights. Hunted since the Beirut Marine barracks bombing in ’83 that killed 241 U.S. servicemen, the global terrorist had a bounty placed on him by the U.S. State Department. (By the way – The U.S. now owes Israel $5 million.)
In the next 24 hours, a remotely detonated bomb assassinated Ismail Haniyeh, a top Hamas political leader visiting Tehran from Qatar. The mysteriously hidden bomb in the Tehran safehouse bore the hallmarks of a covert Mossad operation. And also signaled that Israeli operatives seem to have penetrated Iran and work in conjunction with disaffected Iranians.
The question remains- Will these retaliatory actions bring deterrence back to the war on terror?
The history of conflict in the Middle East is complex. The issues are addressed in my novel, ZACHOR. One chapter is devoted to Mohammed Deif and the 2014 war in Gaza. The other main Hamas antagonist, Yahya Sinwar, is still on the loose, but count on this high value target being near the top of the list for elimination. Stand by…
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