Analysis: Killing of Hamas leader in Lebanon marks a new phase in Israel’s war
January 3, 2024 2 Comments
MIDDLE EAST OBSERVERS WERE hardly surprised by yesterday’s news of the apparent assassination of Hamas leader Saleh al-Arouri in Lebanon. Not only was al-Arouri a senior Hamas official, but he also headed the militant group’s contact team with Lebanese Hezbollah and its Iranian patrons. He was likely at the top of Israel’s permanent assassination list even prior to Hamas’ bloody assault on Israel last October 7. Yet, within the explosive content of the ongoing Israel-Hamas war, Tuesday’s assassination signals the opening of a new and highly unpredictable phase in an already uncertain conflict.
The vague statements issued by Israeli officials in response to the news of al-Arouri’s assassination did little to dispel the broadly accepted view that Israel’s intelligence services were behind the killing. Headed by its external intelligence agency, the Mossad, Israel’s intelligence services have a long history of extrajudicial assassinations. In his seminal book Rise and Kill First, the Israeli investigative journalist Ronen Bergman discusses in detail the history of these assassinations, which predate the postwar establishment of the state of Israel. Bergman’s data-rich research reveals that the Israeli intelligence services have performed approximately 2,700 extrajudicial assassinations in their history —more than any Western state.
Given such a prolific history of targeted killings, al-Arouri’s assassination in Beirut can be described as both expected and unremarkable. Indeed, Israeli officials have stated repeatedly since October 7 that Hamas’ senior leadership will be targeted worldwide. In a leaked recording that emerged last month, Ronen Bar, director of the Israeli Security Agency, was heard announcing to members of Israel’s Knesset that Hamas’ senior leadership would be targeted “in Gaza, in the West Bank, in Lebanon, in Turkey, in Qatar, everywhere”.
At the time the recorded conversation leaked, nobody thought that Bar, a seasoned intelligence officer, was bluffing. Indeed, the operational capabilities and reach of the Mossad are well understood by everyone in the Middle East. That al-Arouri was assassinated in southern Beirut’s Dahiyeh suburb is significant. An undisputed Hezbollah stronghold, Dahiyeh is tightly controlled by the Shiite militant group, which prides itself on ensuring the safety of its residents. 
Yesterday’s assassination at the very heart of Hezbollah’s lair was nothing short of a demonstration of the Mossad’s competency in special operations.
If Israel is truly intent on neutralizing the leadership of Hamas, Mossad’s competency will be increasingly tested in the coming months, as the Jewish state will have to strike repeatedly beyond its borders. This is because, unlike the beleaguered Gazans, who are currently experiencing the most destructive bombing campaign of the 21st century, most leaders of Hamas live in relative luxury in Doha, Ankara, Beirut, Damascus, and other Middle Eastern metropolitan centers. It is there, and not in the razed neighborhoods of Khan Yunis and Jabalia, that Israeli assassination teams will need to operate with increasing dexterity.
Yet, even when their attacks are successful in eliminating their intended targets, the operational signatures left behind by the Mossad teams will inevitably expose some of the agency’s tradecraft methods. They will also reveal the extent of its reach, and in some cases even its networks. Tuesday’s attack, for instance, revealed that Dahiyeh is not the fortified hideout it was believed to be. Other Hamas operatives will now take heed. Moreover, the use of a drone to kill al-Arouri has given Hamas and its allies an insight into one aspect of the Mossad’s assassination methodology, from which they will now seek to develop protections.
It should be noted that on the same day al-Arouri was killed, authorities in Turkey announced the arrests of no fewer than 34 people who are alleged to have been involved “in spying and planning abductions for Israel’s Mossad intelligence agency”. According to Turkish officials, 57 addresses were simultaneously raided in Istanbul and other Turkish cities, while security forces were still searching for 12 more suspects as of yesterday evening local time. This development is almost certainly an attempt by Turkey to pre-empt Israel’s preparations to strike on Turkish soil. In reporting on the arrests yesterday, the BBC reiterated a
warning issued last month by Turkey’s President, Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, that Israel would be “doomed to pay a heavy price” if it tried to assassinate members of Hamas on Turkish soil.
Tuesday’s assassination in southern Beirut demonstrates that Israel isn’t bluffing. The question is whether President Erdoğan is. A more critical question is whether Iran’s Foreign Ministry officials were bluffing yesterday, when they said that al-Arouri’s assassination would “undoubtedly ignite another surge in the veins of resistance and the motivation to fight”, not only in the Palestinian territories, but also in the region and “among all freedom-seekers worldwide”. The inescapable fact is that the more Israel strikes at Hamas targets abroad, the more difficult it will be for Qatari, Turkish and Lebanese decision-makers to ignore the war in Gaza. The long-feared regional escalation observers have been warning against appears a little more likely after Tuesday.
► Author: Joseph Fitsanakis | Date: 03 January 2024 | Permalink
intelNews.org 
Bonjour,
La devise depuis 1951, le mythique Institut pour le renseignement et les opérations spéciales est un pilier de l’État hébreu. Et « le gardien d’Israël ne dort jamais », avertit sa devise.
Aujourd’hui, Israël se prépare à des changements dans le paysage…
Bien qu’Israël ait normalisé ses relations avec quatre pays de la Ligue arabe entre août et décembre 2020 (Bahreïn, Maroc, Soudan et Émirats arabes unis), les accords n’ont pas considérablement réduit les menaces à la sécurité auxquelles Israël est confronté, étant donné qu’aucun des pays ne partage de frontières avec Israël et qu’ils ne soutiennent aucune entité qui opère contre la sécurité israélienne.
Cependant, une normalisation accrue réduira sans doute les menaces à la sécurité contre Israël et créera certainement un environnement plus contredisant pour les mauvais acteurs qui veulent créer une instabilité régionale, autour Israël, dans le seul but d’enclencher le conflit.
Le risque le plus élevé tourne autour de L’Iran, car il représente une menace pour Israël, dans de multiples domaines.
L’une des principales menaces stratégiques à long terme pour la sécurité d’Israël est l’état du programme nucléaire iranien.
Je pense, que L’armée israélienne et les services de sécurité israéliens sont toujours préoccupés par la politique du président élu américain Joe Biden, à l’égard du programme nucléaire iranien, car il pourrait accentuer les pressions exercé à l’égard Israël, le cas échant ils ont examiné divers scénarios pour évaluer la politique probable de la nouvelle administration américaine à l’égard de l’Iran….
Aujourd’hui, Au moins 73 personnes ont été tuées mercredi par une explosion près de la tombe du général iranien Qasem Soleimani, l’ancien chef de la Force Qods iranienne qui a été assassiné par une frappe de drone américain il y a exactement quatre ans, dans ce que les responsables iraniens appellent une attaque terroriste.
Les projets spéciaux avec les mentions secrets, reste classifié. Je que je sais est que le Mossad, a établis à éliminer ses ennemis les plus dangereux, à hauteur de 1 par un.
Je possède un rapport de 84 pages sur le Hamas, depuis sa mise en place jusqu’au 3/1/2024 Le groupe terroriste dirige Gaza depuis, survivant grâce à l’Iran et au Qatar.
L’aide, ainsi que les revenus des tunnels de contrebande qu’il a construits sous la frontière entre Gaza et l’Égypte.
Saleh al-Arouri était un chef militaire et financier du Hamas désigné par les États-Unis qui aurait été expulsé du Qatar en juin 2017.
Le Hamas a élu Arouri au poste de chef adjoint de son bureau politique en octobre 2017. Arouri avait facilité les transferts d’argent et d’armes pour le Hamas depuis les années 1980 et avait aidé à fonder la branche de Cisjordanie de l’aile militaire du Hamas.
Arouri aurait coordonné l’enlèvement et le meurtre en juin 2014 de trois adolescents israéliens en Cisjordanie, ce qui a déclenché le conflit de cet été-là entre Israël et le Hamas.
Date de naissance 19 août 1966 Lieu de naissance Ramallah, Cisjordanie Lieu de résidence Liban Utilisation extrémiste des médias sociaux Pas déterminé Éducation Université Citoyenneté Palestinien Arrêté1990; 1992 ; 1993 Garde
N/A
Il aurait également créé et dirigé le bureau du Hamas en Turquie jusqu’à son expulsion du pays en 2015.
Le Trésor américain a accusé Arouri d’être « un financier clé et un facilitateur financier pour les cellules militaires du Hamas qui planifient des attaques et fomentent des troubles ».En novembre 2018, le programme Rewards for Justice du département d’État américain a offert une récompense de 5 millions de dollars pour toute information menant à l’arrestation d’Arouri.
Arouri a également été le chef du Hamas en Cisjordanie.
Arouri est mort dans une frappe de drone israélienne présumée au Liban le 2 janvier 2024.
Entité extrémiste Le Hamas
Lire le rapport sur les menaces ;)
Type(s) d’organisation : Politique, religieux, prestataire de services sociaux, terroriste, violent
Idéologies et affiliations : Islamiste, djihadiste, groupe affilié aux Frères musulmans, panislamiste, qutbiste, sunnite
Poste(s) : vice-président du bureau politique du Hamas ; Leader de Cisjordanie.
;) Pour ma part, Contrairement à ce que beaucoup supposent, lorsqu’il s’agit de lutter contre le terrorisme, il est peut-être plus important de comprendre comment il se termine que comment il commence car ce n’est qu’en comprenant les moyens courants par lesquels les mouvements terroristes se sont éteints ou ont été éradiqués dans le passé que nous pourrons espérer comprendre comment accélérer le déclin des groupes terroristes d’aujourd’hui, tout en évitant des craintes inutiles et des réactions excessives coûteuses.
Voici quelques questions qu’il faudrait se poser au quotidiens dans la lutte anti-terroriste je pense ? Combien de temps durent les campagnes terroristes ? Quand le ciblage de la direction termine-t-il un groupe ? Quand les négociations sont-elles menées à la fin ? Dans quelles conditions les groupes passent-ils à d’autres formes de violence, comme l’insurrection ou la guerre civile ? Comment et quand réussissent-ils ou échouent-ils, puis disparaissent-ils ? Tout cela peut se faire en aillant des contacts dans le renseignement, et en examinant un large éventail d’exemples historiques, permettant rétrospectivement de tirer un profil – y compris identifie les façons dont presque tous les groupes terroristes disparaissent, y compris la décapitation (attraper ou tuer le chef), la négociation, la répression et l’implosion des groupes terroristes se définis toujours sous des angles des renseignements d’où l’intérêt de venir renforcer celle-ci….
En 2013, l’armée égyptienne a bouclé la plupart des tunnels, plongeant le Hamas et Gaza dans une crise financière….
J’espère avoir éclairé l’article parue sur le site de renseignements.
Pascal L
[An English translation of Pascal L’s French comment above:]
“Good morning,
[Mossad’s motto (the legendary Institute for Intelligence and Special Operations, a pillar of the Hebrew State) warns “Israel’s guardian never sleeps,”].
Today, Israel is preparing for changes in the landscape…
Although Israel normalized relations with four Arab League countries between August and December 2020 (Bahrain, Morocco, Sudan and the United Arab Emirates), the agreements have not significantly reduced the security threats Israel faces, given that none of the countries share borders with Israel and they do not support any entity that operates against Israeli security.
However, increased normalization will likely reduce security threats against Israel and certainly create a more counterproductive environment for bad actors who want to create regional instability around Israel for the sole purpose of igniting conflict.
The highest risk revolves around Iran, as it poses a threat to Israel in multiple areas.
One of the main long-term strategic threats to Israel’s security is the state of Iran’s nuclear program.
I believe that the Israeli army and the Israeli security services are still concerned about the policy of US President-elect Joe Biden, with regard to the Iranian nuclear program, because it could increase pressure on Israel, the where appropriate, they examined various scenarios to assess the likely policy of the new American administration towards Iran….
At least 73 people were killed on Wednesday by an explosion near the tomb of Iranian General Qasem Soleimani, the former head of Iran’s Quds Force who was assassinated by a US drone strike exactly four years ago , in what Iranian officials call a terrorist attack.
Special projects marked secret remain classified. What I know is that the Mossad has set out to eliminate its most dangerous enemies, one by one.
I have an 84-page report on Hamas, from its establishment until 3/1/2024. The terrorist group has ruled Gaza ever since, surviving thanks to Iran and Qatar.
The aid, as well as revenue from the smuggling tunnels he built under the Gaza-Egypt border.
Saleh al-Arouri was a US-designated Hamas military and financial leader who was reportedly expelled from Qatar in June 2017. Hamas elected Arouri as deputy head of its political bureau in October 2017. Arouri had facilitated money and arms transfers for Hamas since the 1980s and helped found the wing’s West Bank branch. Hamas soldier. Arouri allegedly coordinated the June 2014 kidnapping and killing of three Israeli teenagers in the West Bank, which sparked that summer’s conflict between Israel and Hamas.
Arouri ‘s Date of birth is August 19, 1966 at Ramallah, West Bank. Lebanon Extremist use of social media Not determined Education University Citizenship Palestinian Arrested 1990; 1992; 1993 Guard
He also allegedly created and headed the Hamas office in Turkey until his expulsion from the country in 2015.
The US Treasury accused Arouri of being “a key financier and financial facilitator for Hamas military cells that plan attacks and foment unrest.” In November 2018, the US State Department’s Rewards for Justice program offered a $5 million reward for information leading to Arouri’s arrest.
Arouri also served as the leader of Hamas in the West Bank.
Arouri died in a suspected Israeli drone strike in Lebanon on January 2, 2024.
[about the] Extremist entity Hamas
Read the threat report ;)
Type(s) of organization: Political, religious, social service provider, terrorist, violent
Ideologies and affiliations: Islamist, jihadist, group affiliated with the Muslim Brotherhood, pan-Islamist, Qutbist, Sunni
[Arouri ‘s?] Position(s): vice president of the Hamas political bureau; Leader of the West Bank.
;) For my part, Contrary to what many assume, when it comes to fighting terrorism, it is perhaps more important to understand how it ends than how it begins because it is only in understanding the common means by which terrorist movements died out or were eradicated in the past that we can hope to understand how to accelerate the decline of today’s terrorist groups, while avoiding unnecessary fears and costly overreactions.
Here are some questions that we should ask ourselves on a daily basis in the fight against terrorism I think? How long do terrorist campaigns last? When does management targeting terminate a group? When are the negotiations concluded? Under what conditions do groups move to other forms of violence, such as insurrection or civil war? How and when do they succeed or fail and then disappear? This can all be done by making intelligence contacts, and examining a wide range of historical examples, allowing one to retrospectively draw a profile – including identifying the ways in which almost all terrorist groups disappear, including beheading (catching or kill the leader), the negotiation, repression and implosion of terrorist groups are always defined from intelligence angles, hence the interest in strengthening this….
In 2013, the Egyptian army sealed off most of the tunnels, plunging Hamas and Gaza into a financial crisis….
I hope I have clarified the article published on the information site.
Pascal L”