The year 2024 has emerged as a pivotal period in the history of the Middle East, marked by protracted conflicts and casualties. Although some Gulf states remained stable, many areas suffered from continued shelling.
Throughout this period, several influential figures were killed in ongoing hostilities.
This year has been marked by substantial turmoil, marked by escalating conflicts, humanitarian emergencies, and significant geopolitical shifts across the Middle East. Israel’s military actions against Hamas, Hezbollah, and Iran have taken a toll on the leadership, as well as heavy civilian, economic, and military losses.
The conflict escalated as Israel advanced into southern Lebanon and engaged Hezbollah, raising fears of a broader regional war. Despite ceasefire efforts, continued violations by all parties have diminished hopes for regional stability.
Some of the notable people killed in 2024 are:
Hamas experienced a significant loss of leadership due to Israeli operations.
Since October 7, the conflict between Israel and Gaza has become the most serious in recent history. Both sides face devastating consequences, especially in Gaza.
The violence, which stems from decades of political and territorial disputes, has particularly affected Gaza. Israel maintained a position of self-defense and carried out large-scale airstrikes targeting Hamas militants and leaders. Hamas and Palestinian groups retaliated, causing heavy casualties on the Israeli side. Despite international intervention and UN calls for peace, a permanent ceasefire remains elusive.
The conflict has seriously affected the region’s socio-economic stability, creating widespread displacement and humanitarian needs. Gaza’s neighbors live under constant threat.
Hamas leadership suffered a major blow
Yahya Sinwar
Yahya Sinwar has been called one of the masterminds of the October 2023 attack that killed around 1,200 people and took 250 hostages, putting him at the top of Israel’s kill list. He had been tracked by Israel and the United States for more than a year.
In October 2024, Israel claimed to have killed Shinwar during a military operation in the southern Gaza Strip. The New York Times reported that Sinwar was discovered unexpectedly during a routine patrol. During the operation, the commanders of the Israeli trainee squad engaged in a gunfight with the militants, resulting in the deaths of three people, including Shinwar. Inside the partially destroyed building, a body with distinctive features such as a mole and crooked teeth was discovered.
Hamas also confirmed Mr. Sinwar’s death, with his deputy Khalil al-Haya saying on Hamas television that Mr. Sinwar “died fighting the occupation forces.” Mr. Sinwar took over the helm after being released from prison after 20 years in Israel. He was known for blending cunning and brutality to intensify the fight against Israel, with the aim of replacing the Jewish state with an Islamist Palestinian state.
Ismail Haniya
In early July of this year, Israel killed Hamas political leader Ismail Haniyeh, 62, in Tehran. Notably, Haniya was designated a “terrorist” by the United States in 2018. Israel targeted Haniyeh, who was in Iran to attend the presidential swearing-in ceremony. Photos and videos of the Israeli attack on Haniya have been circulated several times on social media. He was a prominent figure who rose from the Gaza refugee camp to become the leader of Hamas. He is known for his key role in shaping Hamas’s political and military strategy.
Haniya was known as a pragmatist within Palestinian groups. His life was marked by imprisonment in Israel, exile, and personal loss. According to reports, Haniya lost three of his children and several grandchildren in Gaza in April 2024 during the ongoing conflict with Israel. Haniya’s death led to an escalation of the conflict between Israel and Iran.
After Haniya’s killing, Iran reacted angrily, blaming Israel for the attack. The Iranian government said it would protect its territorial integrity and dignity.
The office of Iran’s Supreme Leader Seyyed Ali Hosseini Khamenei told I expressed my condolences for Mr. Haniyeh’s martyrdom.” This brave leader. ”
Mohamed Deif
On August 21, Israel highlighted an airstrike carried out on July 13 that it claimed killed Hamas military commander Mohamed Deif. Deif and at least 90 other people were killed in the attack in Mawasi, south of Gaza, and 300 others were injured. After Israel claimed Deif’s death, which Hamas rejected, the IDF claimed it had evidence to support Deif’s killing.
Deif was born in a refugee camp in 1965 and is known as the key figure behind the October 7 attack on Israel.
Saleh al-Arouri
One of the Israeli airstrikes in January claimed the life of Saleh al-Arouri, 57. A drone strike in Dahieh, a southern suburb of Beirut, targeted a Hamas office and killed six others. He was the deputy head of Hamas’s political bureau and the founder of the Qassam Brigades. He reportedly spent about 15 years in an Israeli prison and also lived in exile in Lebanon.
He was known for his role in Hamas’ military operations. After the October 7 attack, Israel threatened to assassinate him. In early 2015, the United States labeled him a “global terrorist” and offered a $5 million reward for information on his whereabouts.
After al-Arouri’s death, Hamas called the killing of its leader a “despicable assassination” and blamed Israel. Hamas has vowed that such actions will not break resistance.
Hassan Nasrallah
On September 27, another Israeli attack made headlines when Israeli forces killed Hassan Nasrallah in an airstrike near Beirut. Under the 64-year-old’s leadership, Lebanon’s Hezbollah has emerged as a powerful political and military force. Ties between Hezbollah and Iran also took shape under his leadership, as the group’s influence in the region expanded. He held Hezbollah’s top position as secretary general for more than 30 years.
He reportedly supported allies such as Syria’s Bashar al-Assad and trained militias in Iraq and Yemen. He was known for his fiery oratory and called for the destruction of Israel. He rarely appears in public and maintained unusual security measures after the 2006 war with Israel.
Hashem Saffieddin
Along with the significant change of direction, there were also several heavy attacks and counterattacks between Israel and Hezbollah. The Israel Defense Forces announced on October 22 that it had killed Hezbollah’s deputy commander, Hashem Saffieddin, in southern Beirut. The next day, Hamas confirmed his death.
Saffieddin is a key figure in Hezbollah and was expected to succeed the group’s leader, Hassan Nasrallah.
He was known for playing an active role in the group’s military and social programs, as chairman of Hezbollah’s executive council and member of the Shura and Jihad councils. Saffieddin also supported the group in expanding ties with Iran. His death left Hezbollah’s leadership uncertain, especially after the killing of another candidate, Nabil Kaouk.
