Report claims Netanyahu ignored multiple opportunities to eliminate Sinwar before Oct 2023 attacks
Tel Aviv, Israel – Web Desk: Israel reportedly missed 11 critical opportunities in early 2023 to target Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar, raising questions over Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s security decisions ahead of the devastating October 7 attacks.
According to a Channel 12 report, Israel’s internal security agency Shin Bet had repeatedly located Sinwar’s position in February and March 2023 and recommended a targeted strike. However, Prime Minister Netanyahu allegedly declined to authorize any action or convene formal meetings to approve the operation.
The report reveals that during these months, Hamas carried out three separate rocket attacks on Israel, and just six days before the October 7, 2023 assault, Shin Bet requested approval for a strike on Sinwar, which was denied.
Opposition leaders have criticized Netanyahu’s perceived negligence, demanding accountability, while the Prime Minister’s office has strongly denied the claims, asserting that repeated attempts to eliminate Hamas leadership were blocked by security officials.
Yahya Sinwar, Hamas leader in Gaza since 2017, was eventually killed in Rafah in October 2024. The removal of Hamas leadership later paved the way for a 2025 ceasefire agreement and the establishment of a technocrat-led administration in Gaza under US oversight.
