On July 30, Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh attended the inauguration ceremony of the Islamic Republic of Iran’s new president, Masoud Pezeshkian, where attendees chanted “Death to Israel, Death to America.” By the following morning, Haniyeh was dead, eliminated in a targeted strike on his Tehran home.
The strike, almost certainly conducted by Israel, was a stunning display of military precision and strategic prowess, made all the more astonishing by the fact that Fuad Shakr, effectively Hezbollah’s second in command, was taken out by Israel less than 12 hours earlier. Just two weeks ago, in Gaza, Israel appeared to have done the same to Mohammad Deif, the head of Hamas’s military brigades, with another targeted strike. These operations underscore a truth forgotten by Israel’s enemies, and even to an extent by Israel itself: when it chooses to be unencumbered by international pressure, Israel is an unstoppable force in the fight against terrorism.
Its recent series of targeted assassinations should send a stark warning to terrorist leaders worldwide: they are not safe. The moment they leave the safety of their underground bunkers—or their fancy accommodations in Qatar, in the case of Hamas leaders—they may find themselves in Israel’s crosshairs. To drive this message home even more powerfully, however, the international community, particularly the United States, should unequivocally express support for the strikes. Better yet, the U.S. should leverage its influence and pressure Qatar to expel the remaining Hamas officials enjoying safe haven in Doha.
Critics of the targeted assassinations will doubtless voice concern over potential escalatory responses from Hamas and Hezbollah, as well as other Iranian-backed proxies like the Houthis and Palestinian Islamic Jihad. But these critics forget that the escalation already occurred—on October 7, to be exact, when Hamas led thousands of terrorists in the most devastating mass slaughter of Jews since the Holocaust.
Others might worry that the assassination of Haniyeh will complicate a potential hostage deal for the Israeli (and American) hostages still held captive by Hamas in Gaza. The opposite is true. Perhaps for the first time since October 7, Hamas leaders and their Iranian overlords realize that they are not as bulletproof as they might have thought. Moreover, Israel has in the past exhibited a tendency to “over strategize” and allow concern about escalation and international pressure to stop it from enacting swift justice. This is no longer an acceptable standard for most Israelis. A society that fails to guarantee justice and security for its people by vanquishing those that threaten it is a society on course for collapse.
U.S. leaders should recognize that supporting a proactive Israel also safeguards American interests. Both Shakr and Haniyeh have American blood on their hands. Shakr, for his part, played a key role in the planning and execution of the 1983 attack on the U.S. Marine barracks in Beirut that killed 241 American service personnel. And Haniyeh oversaw the October 7 massacre, in which dozens of American were murdered. Justice for these Americans has now been served, at least in part.
Unsurprisingly, these considerations matter little to America’s enemies, like China, Russia, and Qatar, who have already condemned Israel for the Haniyeh strike. Qatar’s language was particularly fierce, calling the assassination “a heinous crime, a dangerous escalation and a blatant violation of international and humanitarian law.”
Despite what is sure to be a relentless campaign by other international actors troubled by a strong Jewish state protecting its people, the United States must stand firm and provide unwavering support to the targeted Israeli operations. Anything less is not just a disservice to Israel but to the global fight against terrorism.
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