The Evolution of Israeli Targeted Operations: Consequences of the Thabet Thabet Operation

Abstract

This article examines, from an Israeli counterterrorism and legal perspective, the evolution of Israeli “targeted killings” (TK) as distinct from past “assassination” and “liquidation” operations. The article traces the evolution using distinct phases. In phase one, the article briefly traces the history of targeted operations, beginning with the Yishuv in the 1920s, working forward to the outbreak of the al-Aqsa armed conflict in 2000. The study then shifts to phase two, the most critical aspect of the story of TKs—the radical changes that occurred as a result of the consequences of the Thabet Thabet Operation in December 2000, showing precisely how, when, and why Israeli furtive “assassinations” morphed into overt TKs. The third phase describes the radical changes and reactions of the Thabet Thabet Operation; of how it marked the end of the quasi-institutionalization of “assassinations” and “liquidations” and began the path to the legalization of a progressively expanded counterterrorism tactic. The study then shifts to the fourth phase, which describes how the creation of an Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) “legal opinion” eventually led to the Israeli High Court of Justice's (HCJ) 2006 verdict on TK. It also covers how the Israeli decision-making process on TK evolved. Finally, phase five analyzes the aftereffects of the HCJ's decision on TK, which is ultimately a consequence of the December 2000 Thabet Thabet operation. Lacking a contemporary historical understanding of this operation and its consequences, the tactic cannot be wholly understood. The purpose of this article is to offer an understanding of how TKs differ from past targeted operations and why they evolved, terminologically, legally, and operationally, specifically as a result of the Thabet Thabet Operation.