Assassination of Fathi Shaqaqi

Assassination of Fathi Shaqaqi

Date	26 October 1995
Venue	Diplomat Hotel
Location	Sliema, Malta
Type	Drive-by shooting
Target	Fathi Shaqaqi
Participants	2
Casualties
1

Fathi Shaqaqi, the co-founder and Secretary-General of the Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ), was assissinated on October 26, 1995, in Sliema, Malta. Shaqaqi was a key figure in orchestrating militant attacks against Israeli targets, and his leadership of the PIJ made him a high-priority target for Israel's intelligence agency, Mossad.

Background

Fathi Shaqaqi, born in 1951 in the Gaza Strip to a displaced family originally from Zarnuqa, now Israel, was one of the most prominent leaders of the Palestinian Islamic Jihad, a militant organization committed to a one-state solution. The PIJ, under Shaqaqi's leadership, carried out numerous attacks, including suicide bombings, against Israeli military and civilian targets. The group had close ties with Iran, which provided financial and logistical support.

Shaqaqi had fled to Damascus, Syria, and operated out of there, using it as a base for coordinating PIJ activities. At the time of his assassination, Shaqaqi was returning from a visit to Libya, where he had met with Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi to urge him to stop the expulsion of Palestinians.

Assassination

The assassination of Shaqaqi took place in broad daylight on the streets of Sliema, Malta, where he was staying under a false name while traveling back to Syria. As Shaqaqi left his hotel and walked towards his rented car, two Mossad agents on motorcycles approached him. One of the agents fired several shots at Shaqaqi, killing him instantly. The assailants fled the scene, leaving the rented car at the location.

Mossad had been tracking Shaqaqi for months and had waited for the opportune moment when he was vulnerable and away from the protection of his Damascus-based security. Israel had previously targeted key figures of Palestinian militant organizations through covert operations, a strategy aimed at weakening the leadership and operational capacity of these groups.

Aftermath and Impact

Shaqaqi's assassination dealt a significant blow to the PIJ, temporarily weakening its leadership and operational capabilities. However, the group quickly appointed a successor, Ramadan Shalah, who continued to lead the organization in carrying out attacks against Israel.

Israel did not officially claim responsibility for the assassination, in keeping with its policy of ambiguity regarding such covert operations. Nonetheless, the operation was widely attributed to Mossad.

Shaqaqi's death was met with condemnation from Palestinian factions and protests in Gaza and other Palestinian territories. His assassination also strained relations between Israel and some Arab nations, particularly those sympathetic to the Palestinian cause.

The killing of Shaqaqi was part of Israel's broader counter-terrorism strategy aimed at eliminating the leaders of militant organizations deemed a direct threat to Israeli security.