Hamas aerial operations head Daqqa killed in September airstrike: Israel
What's the story
The head of Hamas's Aerial Unit, Samer Abu Daqqa, was killed in an Israeli airstrike in the Gaza Strip, according to Israeli military and security agencies. In a joint statement, Israel's military and Shin Bet domestic security service confirmed the death of Abu Daqqa, who led Hamas's aerial operations, during an airstrike by Israeli warplanes in September, as reported by Xinhua news agency.
Strategic loss
Daqqa's role in Hamas
Daqqa was instrumental in many drone attacks and was a key player in Hamas's aerial operations. He had succeeded former Hamas aerial array chief Asem Abu Rakaba, who was killed by Israel last October. Israeli security officials also named Daqqa as the mastermind behind Hamas's paraglider and drone infiltrations into southern Israel during its surprise attack on October 7, 2023.
Ongoing conflict
Israeli retaliatory campaign continues in Gaza
Notably, the surprise attack by Hamas left 1,200 dead and triggered an ongoing Israeli retaliatory campaign in Gaza. According to Gaza-based health authorities, the Israeli assaults on Gaza have so far killed 42,289 Palestinians. To recall, in September, Israel carried out deadly airstrikes against Hezbollah's major headquarters in Beirut, Lebanon. Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah was the target of the strikes and was killed in the attack.
Leadership
Hezbollah's leadership after Israel's targeted strikes
Later there were reports that Nasrallah's replacement Hashem Safieddine was also killed. This comes after the elimination of other veteran Hezbollah leaders including Nasrallah, Ibrahim Aqil, and Ali Karaki. Despite these losses, Hezbollah still has some key figures in its leadership. Naim Qassem, the deputy secretary-general since 1991, remains active within the group. Other surviving members include Talal Hamieh who oversees external operations, Khodor Nader who leads the security unit, and Abu Ali Rida who commands a regional division.