The Israeli military has announced that it believes it has killed Yahya Sinwar, Hamas’s most influential leader. Israeli officials indicated that they are conducting DNA analysis to confirm his identity. But why does this matter?
A report from Israel’s N12 indicated that the IDF had located Yahya Sinwar in the past but chose not to assassinate him because he was with hostages, and killing him could have also resulted in their deaths. Sinwar was killed in Gaza on October 17 in a chance encounter with IDF soldiers, primarily from the Bislamach brigade, who were not searching for him. They had come across a booby-trapped house and killed several terrorists with a tank shell. One of those terrorists was Sinwar.
Initial reports from the IDF stated that at least several senior terrorists, including Sinwar, had been eliminated. However, the IDF added, “At this stage, the identity of the terrorists cannot be confirmed.” They noted that “in the building where the terrorists were eliminated, there were no signs of the presence of hostages in the area. The forces that are operating in the area are continuing to operate with the required caution.”
Brigadier General Herzi Halevi and head of Shin Bet (Israel Security Agency) Ronen Bar arrived at the building where Sinwar was believed to be killed and said, “I believe if we let this man stay alive, he would have continued his atrocities. I think what’s remarkable here is that our forces operated appropriately and effectively on the ground. We had many special missions during this war, but here, we didn’t know what to expect. This is a testament to our professionalism and alertness. We’re a few days after October 7, and we’re approaching the Hebrew anniversary of that tragic date. This development is tantamount to settling an account with Sinwar.”
In essence, the IDF reportedly eliminated Sinwar without harming any hostages. However, specific details regarding the location, date, or time of the operation have not been disclosed.
Sinwar, Israel’s most wanted target, has not appeared in public since before the conflict began and is believed to have been hiding within Hamas’s extensive tunnel network in Gaza. In the last two months, he has also been out of contact with Hamas leaders in Qatar, and there were questions about whether he was still alive or able to function as Hamas’ leader in Gaza due to his apparent isolation. In the wake of the October 7 clash, Images circulated online that allegedly depict his body among the debris of a destroyed building.
Sinwar, who spent decades in an Israeli prison, orchestrated the October 7 Hamas massacre that killed 1,200 Israelis. He was released in 2011 as part of a deal in which Israel traded more than 1,000 terrorists to return IDF soldier Gilad Schalit, who Hamas kidnapped in 2006. Sinwar was one of the key Hamas leaders who was released in that deal, and he spent the next several years consolidating power in Gaza. He then transformed Hamas into a much more powerful and dangerous organization. Under Sinwar, Hamas increased the range and accuracy of its rockets. It also built up its forces and planned for the October 7 attack. Under Sinwar, Hamas also did outreach to Hezbollah and sought to work more closely with Iran and other Iranian-backed proxies in the region.
In late September, Israel shifted its focus from the war in Gaza against Hamas to attacking Hezbollah in Lebanon. While Israel has been focused on Hezbollah to the north, there are indications that once the army completes its operations in Lebanon, it will shift its attention to the south. The operations in Lebanon left Israel with fewer troops in Gaza. However, it was these troops that were left in Gaza that ended up killing Sinwar. Sinwar had apparently left his tunnel hideout and was moving around with several key lieutenants, including the head of the brigade in Rafah.
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For the terrorist organization, survival is enough. If Hamas survives and Sinwar continues to control Gaza after the IDF withdraws, he has won.
“For the terrorist organization, survival is enough,” Sarit Zehavi, founder of the Alma Center, told The Media Line in a previous interview. “If Hamas survives and Sinwar continues to control Gaza after the IDF withdraws, he has won.”
Israel understood that it must eliminate Sinwar to weaken Hamas.
Before the announcement of Sinwar’s death, there were two options on the table: The rescue of hostages or a ceasefire deal. It seems likely that Israel knew the hostages’ whereabouts and could have conducted operations to retrieve them. However, as we saw with the murder of the six hostages, including American-Israeli Hirsh Goldberg-Polin, there was a mandate to kill hostages when the IDF approached.
Now, with Hamas’s leadership potentially weakened via the death of Sinwar, the IDF may be better positioned to secure the release of hostages.
Former Deputy IDF Chief of Staff Matan Vilnai told The Media Line that the IDF could move freely across Gaza’s 363 square kilometers. Troops are using lightweight vehicles instead of armored tanks or carriers, facing minimal resistance. This mobility could enable military personnel to leverage intelligence to locate and rescue hostages.
Furthermore, Sinwar’s death would convey a powerful message to the region that Israel is strong and in control, akin to the impact of eliminating Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah. Symbolism is a strong language in this war.
Of course, as we have seen, Hamas can reconstitute itself, but Sinwar’s death will scare even those who believe they can do it, Meaning that murdering Hamas may scare even those who thought they could evade the Israeli army.
We cannot be sure, but the war against Hamas, if the hostages come home, may be coming to a close.
Defense Minister Yoav Galant quoted Leviticus 26 in a tweet shortly after Sinwar’s death, “You will pursue your enemies, and they will fall before you by the sword.”