Do Israel’s assassinations work?
Why the conventional wisdom about decapitating Hamas and Hizbullah might be wrong
It has become almost an article of faith: assassinations don’t matter. For more than a year Israel has been killing leaders of Hamas, a Palestinian Islamist group, and Hizbullah, a Lebanese Shia militia. Each time it does, a chorus of officials and analysts insist that Hamas and Hizbullah will simply regroup and regain their previous strength. Maybe so: Israel’s history offers ample reason for such scepticism. But there is also good reason to believe that this time may be different.
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This article appeared in the Middle East & Africa section of the print edition under the headline “Killing an idea”
Middle East & Africa October 26th 2024
From the October 26th 2024 edition
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