What is the value of life in the Middle East? Is it worth less than elsewhere? Or does it depend on whose lives you are talking about?
One might be forgiven for wondering, after the stark contrast in reactions between the killing of 100 Palestinian civilians at a school in Gaza, and the killing (in Iran) of a Hamas leader and (in Beirut) of a Hezbollah commander.
Surely, this encapsulates the tragedy of the region—killed in conflicts whose motives grow more ambiguous by the day, in wars increasingly detached from reality.
Killing VIPs
Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh’s assassination was framed within the context of Israel’s violation of Iranian sovereignty and an escalation intended to restore deterrence, which collapsed on 7 October 2023.
He was killed just hours after meeting Iran’s new president, Masoud Pezeshkian, and Iran’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei: a resounding blow to Iran’s entire security apparatus, in a country obsessed with security and intelligence.
Well aware of its enemies’ capabilities, the Islamic Republic pours billions into its security, even during economic crises. Tehran will feel it demands a harsh response.
There are parallels between the assassination of Haniyeh and the killing of Hezbollah veteran Fuad Shukr. He was a leading figure in the Jihad Council, which includes the group’s military and security leaders, and served as the military advisor to Hezbollah Secretary-General Hassan Nasrallah.