The killings of Hezbollah’s second-in-command, Fuad Shukr, in the middle of the terror group’s stronghold in southern Beirut, and of Ismail Haniyeh, the head of Hamas’ political wing, at a heavily protected government guesthouse in Tehran, have been denounced by some in the West as an “escalation” by the IDF that will lead ineluctably to a major regional war. But the current “escalation” in violence between the Jewish state and those who, headed by Iran, wish to destroy it and replace it with a 23rd Arab state, began on October 7, with the torture, rape, and murder of 1,200 Israelis by Hamas and the kidnapping of 251 Israelis who were taken back to Gaza. These two assassinations — of Shukr and Haniyeh — and the killing of Hamas’ military head in Gaza, Muhammad Deif, in an Israeli strike in Khan Younis on July 13 have contributed to restoring Israel’s deterrence posture, and have been a boon to the Western world whose wellbeing is threatened by the Islamic Republic and its proxies. More on how these latest assassinations serve both Israel and West can be found here: “Israel Reestablished Deterrence. It Should be Praised, Not Admonished | Opinion,” by Arsen Ostrovsky and John Spencer, Newsweek, August 2, 2024:
…There are those who now insist that the elimination of Haniyeh and Shukr will only escalate regional tensions. To them we ask: Where have you been the last 10 months?
Hamas initiated the massacre of October 7 and were joined by Hezbollah the day after, having since fired over 7,250 rockets at northern Israel from Lebanon.
Iran has in the meantime been pulling the strings from Tehran as the grandmaster of both Hamas and Hezbollah, as well as the Houthis, who joined long ago from Yemen.
If anyone has been escalating regional tensions, it has been the international community, which has been largely trying to pressure Israel into showing restraint or compromise, instead of demanding Hezbollah and Hamas cease the attacks, disarm, and release all the hostages, or that Iran reign in their proxies.
In doing so, the international community has only emboldened these terror groups and encouraged their regional patrons to escalate tensions further.
If anything, the world should thank Israel now, as the elimination of Haniyeh and Shukr ought to send a clear message to all the terror groups and their enablers that their actions come at a heavy price, and they should reconsider their involvement….
There is no denying that Hamas has been utterly decimated and embarrassed. Their leadership is destroyed, its military dismantled into a fraction of its former self, and Sinwar has never been so isolated. Although Hamas is unlikely to re-engage in negotiations so soon for fear of losing face and being seen as succumbing to Israel’s overpowering, they will need to reach some kind of agreement, so as to have at least something to show and avoid the fate of Haniyeh and Deif.
Israel’s audacious targeted operations this past week only underscore that the path to stability in the region and return of the hostages, will come from renewed Israeli deterrence and strength.
Hamas, reeling from its latest losses, of both its political leader, Ismail Haniyeh, and of its military leader in Gaza, Muhammad Deif, realizes that despite calls from the Bidenites for a ceasefire, and Biden’s own disapproval, expressed in a phone call to Prime Minister Netanyahu, that the killing of Ismail Haniyeh came “at the wrong time,” the Israelis are not going to stop putting maximum pressure on them until Hamas returns all of the hostages that remain alive in Gaza. And Hezbollah, for all of its huffing and puffing in promising a terrible revenge against Israel, is well aware that the death of Fuad Shukr, its military commander, second only to Hassan Nasrallah in Hezbollah’s hierarchy, is a major loss to the terror group, These three killings in rapid succession — of Muhammad Deif, Ismail Haniyeh, and Fuad Shukr, in Khan Younis, Tehran, and Beirut, have forcefully re-established Israel’s deterrent power, making it, and the entire Western world, safer than they were just a few days ago. It’s deplorable that the Bidenites fail to grasp this.
JS says
Hugh, don’t you agree that the because Obama and then Biden has allowed so many radical Islamist into the US and placed them (as Biden claimed when he took office) on national television while pointing at them “and I’m going to place you at high levels of government” is a serious problem?
Taffy says
The dimwits that think Israel’s actions are an escalation and not a deterrence cannot fathom the impact of present actions on the future, as weighed against present inaction on the future. The Ayatollah and Masoud Pezeshkian and other high-ups in the regime know that Israel can take them out at will.
I personally do not buy the housekeeper smuggling a bomb into the guest living quarters theory. I believe that an F-35 or another stealthy plane (F-22?) infiltrated Iran’s airspace undetected, took out Haniyeh with a precision missile, and then left undetected. They may have had a spy who communicated to them that Haniyeh was actually in his room.
If my theory is correct, then Israel has free reign over Iran, and every military installation therein, including the Republican Guard leadership. They and the Ayatollah himself are sitting ducks.
Donna says
From the river to the sea, Israel ?? will be free!!
Thank you Israel for eliminating this threat . I apologize for the Americans that swindled their way into office and refuse to do the will of the people and support Israel.
Mike says
It just that what goes around comes around, and that Lady Karma can be harsh.
Mike says
Correction:
It just shows that what comes around goes around, and that Lady Karma can be harsh.
࿗Infidel࿘ says
I think they need one more to attain full deterrence. So far, Iran is not deterred b’cos nobody of theirs has been killed. Wonder if Israel could just take out Ayatollah Khamenei himself, and then set off a power struggle in Tehran, as well as inspire mass uprisings throughout the country?
terry says
Crooks only grasp crookedness.
Rick Olsha says
am Israel CHAI !!!!