Martyrs of the Resistance: A Chronology of Palestine Leader Assassinations

By Nour Dawood

On October 17, the Israeli military confirmed the killing of Hamas’s political and military leader Yahya Sinwar during clashes with Israeli forces in Rafah, southern Gaza, on October 16.

Hamas officially acknowledged Sinwar’s death the following day, marking the end of the life of a leader Israel had long feared. Sinwar’s death appears to have been an accidental encounter, not the result of a planned assassination, as he directly engaged Israeli forces during the battle.

In August, Sinwar was appointed as the new head of Hamas’s political bureau, succeeding Ismail Haniyeh, who was assassinated in Tehran by Israel in July 2024.

For the Palestinian people, Israel’s assassinations of their leaders will not stop the ongoing resistance against occupation. Resistance is a legacy, passed down from generation to generation, and it will continue until Palestine is liberated.

Abu Obeida, the spokesperson for Al-Qassam Brigades, captured the essence of this concept in his speech on the one-year anniversary of Hamas’s “Operation Al-Aqsa Flood” on October 7:

“Israel’s joy over the assassinations is deceptive. Assassinations have never stopped liberation movements, especially in our Palestinian and Arab history.

If assassinations were a victory, resistance would have ended with the death of Sheikh Izz al-Din al-Qassam ninety years ago in Jenin. But it hasn’t.

The assassinations are a sign of victory for us, a source of regret for the aggressors. A leader is succeeded by leaders, a fighter by a dozen, and a martyr by a thousand. This land produces resistance fighters as it produces olives.”

Below is a timeline of prominent Palestinian figures and leaders assassinated by Israel, underscoring a continued legacy of resistance that lives on beyond their deaths. Yahya Sinwar stands among the latest in this list, joining a legacy of steadfast leaders.

Timeline of Key Palestinian Leaders Assassinated by Israel

1972: Ghassan Kanafani – The Writer of Resistance
Date of Assassination: July 8, 1972
Faction: Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP)
Role: Renowned writer and spokesperson for the PFLP, Kanafani’s novels and stories depicted Palestinian struggles.
Details: Killed by a car bomb in Beirut. His literary legacy remains a cornerstone of Palestinian cultural resistance.

1973: Kamal Adwan – The Strategist Behind Operations
Date of Assassination: April 10, 1973
Faction: Fatah
Role: Fatah’s director of operations in the Occupied Territories, he was instrumental in planning resistance missions.
Details: Assassinated in Beirut during Israel’s Operation ‘Spring of Youth’, marking a loss for Fatah’s military wing.

1979: Ali Hassan Salameh – The “Red Prince” of Fatah
Date of Assassination: January 22, 1979
Faction: Fatah
Role: Head of Fatah’s intelligence arm.
Details: Killed by a car bomb in Beirut orchestrated by Mossad, his death ended an era of high-profile covert operations.

1988: Khalil al-Wazir (Abu Jihad) – The Architect of Intifada
Date of Assassination: April 16, 1988
Faction: Fatah
Role: Founding member of Fatah and senior leader responsible for mobilizing the First Intifada.
Details: Assassinated by Israeli commandos in Tunis, his death aimed to cripple the uprising’s leadership.

1995: Dr. Fathi Shaqaqi – The Scholar-Revolutionary
Date of Assassination: October 26, 1995
Role: Founder of the Islamic Jihad Movement, blending Islamic and anti-colonial ideologies.
Details: Shot by Israeli agents in Malta while returning from Libya. Shaqaqi’s ideas continue to inspire Palestinian resistance groups.

1996: Yahya Ayyash – The Engineer of Resistance
Date of Assassination: January 5, 1996
Role: Lead bomb-maker for Hamas, known for his skill in crafting improvised explosives.
Details: Killed by a phone rigged with explosives, detonated by Israeli intelligence. Ayyash’s death was a pivotal moment in the armed struggle.

2001: Abu Ali Mustafa – The Leader of the PFLP
Date of Assassination: August 27, 2001
Faction: Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP)
Role: Secretary-General of the PFLP and proponent of armed resistance.
Details: Assassinated by an Israeli missile in his office in Ramallah, symbolizing Israel’s targeted efforts to dismantle the PFLP’s leadership.

2002: Salah Shehadeh – The Military Strategist
Date of Assassination: July 22, 2002
Role: Co-founder of Hamas’s Izz al-Din al-Qassam Brigades, leading the military operations.
Details: Assassinated by an Israeli airstrike on his home, which also resulted in civilian casualties, his death underscored Israel’s focus on targeting Hamas’s military leadership.

2003: Ismail Abu Shanab – The Diplomat of Hamas
Date of Assassination: August 21, 2003
Role: Senior Hamas leader and a prominent advocate for political dialogue.
Details: Killed in a targeted car strike in Gaza City, his death marked the loss of a vital diplomatic figure within Hamas.

2004: Sheikh Ahmed Yassin – The Visionary Sheikh of Gaza
Date of Assassination: March 22, 2004
Role: Founding leader of Hamas, known for his unwavering leadership in the liberation struggle.
Details: Assassinated by an Israeli missile after leaving dawn prayers, his killing sparked widespread outrage and fortified his legacy.

2004: Dr. Abdel Aziz al-Rantisi – The Lion of Palestine
Date of Assassination: April 17, 2004
Role: Co-founder of Hamas, noted for his outspoken resistance and strategic leadership.
Details: Targeted in a missile strike just weeks after Yassin’s death, al-Rantisi’s assassination underscored Israel’s ongoing strategy of dismantling Hamas’s leadership.