Israeli targeted killings

Israeli targeted killings, by the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) also called targeted prevention (Hebrew: סיכול ממוקד ‎‎ sikul memukad) or focused foiling, is the term used in the course of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict to describe the targeted killing of persons accused of carrying out or planning attacks against Israeli targets in the Palestinian territories and/or inside Israel.

The Israeli army maintains that it pursues such military operations to prevent imminent attacks when it has no discernible means of making an arrest or foiling such attacks by other methods. On 14 December 2006, the Supreme Court of Israel ruled that targeted killing is a legitimate form of self-defense against terrorists, and outlined several conditions for its use.

Many strikes have been carried out by Israeli Air Force attack helicopters (mainly the AH-64 Apache) that fire guided missiles toward the target, after Shin Bet supplies intelligence for the target. Sometimes, when heavier bombs are needed, the strike is carried out by F-16 warplanes.

Other strategies employ strike teams of Israeli intelligence or military operatives. These operatives infiltrate areas known to harbor targeted individuals, and eliminate their assigned targets with small arms fire or use of explosives. Snipers have also been utilized, as was in the case of Dr. Thabet Thabet in 2001.

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