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Killing of Hamas leader, fighting in Lebanon brings Israel back to war on two fronts - analysis

From Jerusalem Post · () English

Summarized by DistantNews. Read the original for the full story.

At a glance

Analysis Named sources Ongoing story
  • Israel has struck the latest Hamas military wing leader in Gaza, Mohammed Odeh, who was also an architect of the October 7 massacre.
  • This action, along with vows to crush Hezbollah, places Israel back on two active fronts, a complex battle it has experience managing.
  • Despite significant losses, both Hamas and Hezbollah continue to pose threats by operating within civilian populations, raising questions about the ultimate achievements of these targeted strikes.

Israel is once again engaged in a complex, two-front conflict following the elimination of the latest Hamas military wing leader in Gaza and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's vow to crush Hezbollah. The IDF announced the strike on Mohammed Odeh, identifying him as a key architect of the October 7 massacre and the successor to a previously eliminated Hamas leader.

Odeh's elimination, along with that of his predecessor Ezzedine al-Haddad, marks a return to a tactic of targeted assassinations that Israel employed more frequently in the past, such as the killings of Hamas leaders Ahmed Yassin and Abdul Aziz Rantisi in 2004. While these targeted killings were once controversial, they are now considered a norm in the ongoing conflict.

At the direction of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Israel Katz, the IDF has just struck at Mohammed Odeh in Gaza, the new leader of the military wing of the Hamas terrorist organization and one of the architects of the October 7 massacre.

· Israel's Prime Minister's OfficeAnnouncing the IDF's strike on Mohammed Odeh, identified as a key Hamas leader.

The effectiveness of these strikes in weakening Hamas remains a question. Despite losing numerous commanders and leaders over approximately 961 days of war, Hamas has not collapsed and continues to control half of Gaza. The organization appears to be sustained by its presence among the civilian population, which numbers over 2 million, half of whom are under 18.

Hezbollah faces a similar situation, having also sustained significant losses in leaders and commanders. Like Hamas, Hezbollah embeds itself within Shi'ite communities in Lebanon, particularly in southern Lebanon, Beirut's Dahiyeh, and the Beka'a Valley. The group continues to pose a threat to Israel, notably through the use of FPV (first-person view) drones equipped with munitions, a tactic also observed in the conflict in Ukraine. Israeli troops have resorted to using nets in an attempt to counter these drones.

Odeh served as the head of Hamas's intelligence staff during the October 7 massacre and was appointed – about a week ago – to replace Ezzedine al-Haddad, who was eliminated in an IDF strike in the Gaza Strip two weeks ago.

· Israel's Prime Minister's OfficeProviding details on Mohammed Odeh's role and recent appointment within Hamas.
About this summary

Originally published by Jerusalem Post. Summarized and contextualized automatically by DistantNews, with a note on how the source frames the story. Not individually reviewed before publishing. How this works.

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