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IDF turned down opportunity to kill Hamas chief – report

Israel’s military reportedly had a clear shot at assassinating Hamas chief Yahya Sinwar, but declined to take advantage of it, fearing it would lead to deaths of Israeli hostages used as human shields.

By World Israel News Staff

The Israeli military had a clear shot at eliminating the chief of Hamas forces in the Gaza Strip, but turned down the opportunity amid fears an assassination would risk the lives of Israeli hostages being used as human shields, a Hebrew-language report published Sunday claimed.

On Sunday night, Israel’s Channel 12 published an exclusive report claiming that the IDF had received intelligence which placed it in the position to carry out an operation to kill Yahya Sinwar, the 61-year-old commander of Hamas’ Gaza forces and since August, chairman of the terror group’s politburo.

Sinwar, who went into hiding early on in the current war, is believed to be living in Hamas’ massive underground terror tunnel network beneath the Gaza Strip, moving from one makeshift subterranean saferoom to another to avoid capture by the IDF.

The terror chief is also reportedly keeping a number of Israeli captives in his immediate proximity at all times, using them as human shields to discourage the IDF from attempting to assassinate him.

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Last week, multiple Hebrew media outlets reported that the IDF’s Military Intelligence Directorate is unsure whether Sinwar is still alive, with some within the MID arguing that the Hamas leader died in an airstrike several months ago.

While some within the Directorate have questioned this view, advocates say the lack Sinwar’s months-long silence and indications messages written in his name were penned by others indicate he was likely killed.

Israel’s Shin Bet internal security agency has reportedly criticized this assessment, with the agency believing Sinwar to be still be alive and operating out of the Gaza Strip.

Senior IDF spokesman Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari said last Monday that he had no clear information to confirm either that Sinwar was killed or is still alive.

“I cannot confirm, and cannot deny” said Hagari. “I do not have information that he is dead.”