Netanyahu Turned Down 11 Chances to Take Out Sinwar Before October 7 Massacre
A top security figure claims Prime Minister Netanyahu ignored 11 separate Shin Bet recommendations to assassinate Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar in early 2023, even as rocket fire escalated from Gaza. Netanyahu's office fires back, insisting he pushed to target Hamas top brass while security officials held it back.
The revelation adds fuel to debates over pre-October 7 decision-making, highlighting tensions between political leadership and security agencies regarding Hamas terrorists.
In February and March 2023, amid rising tensions from Gaza, Israeli security forces intensified intelligence efforts to enable a high-quality targeted operation against Sinwar. During that period, Hamas terrorists fired rockets toward Israel in three separate incidents. According to the senior defense official, the Shin Bet informed decision-makers on 11 different occasions that precise intelligence allowed for a feasible assassination of Sinwar. In each instance, Netanyahu allegedly ignored the recommendations and refused to hold discussions or approve any action on the matter.
This pattern echoes earlier reports, including one from just six days before the October 7 attack. On October 1, 2023, then-Shin Bet chief Ronen Bar raised the possibility of eliminating Sinwar during a meeting with Netanyahu, but the prime minister disregarded the suggestion. The Shin Bet had long viewed Sinwar's removal as critical and worked to produce fresh, actionable intelligence, yet Netanyahu consistently stuck to his position against carrying out the operation.
The office of Prime Minister Netanyahu responded sharply to the claims. It stated, "Exactly the opposite! Prime Minister Netanyahu demanded time and again to target the Hamas leadership and security officials blocked it, something that is well documented in the protocols."
The allegations surface in the context of broader scrutiny over Israel's handling of the Hamas threat before the devastating October 7, 2023, assault, where Hamas terrorists infiltrated southern Israel, killing over 1,200 people and abducting hundreds more. Sinwar, who masterminded that attack, was later killed by Israeli forces in Gaza in October 2024 during ongoing operations in the war. Muhammad Deif, Hamas's military chief, was also eliminated in 2024 after years of similar targeting discussions.
Security sources have previously indicated that proposals to strike Sinwar and other senior Hamas figures dated back years, with varying levels of urgency tied to flare-ups in Gaza rocket fire and border incidents. In some periods, political considerations, including negotiations involving Qatari funding to Hamas for calm, reportedly influenced decisions to hold off on assassinations.
The fresh disclosure underscores deep divisions between Netanyahu and parts of the security establishment over how aggressively to confront Hamas leadership in the lead-up to the war. While the claims remain unverified beyond the senior official's account and Netanyahu's denial, they join a series of post-war examinations into intelligence failures, policy choices, and missed opportunities that preceded the October 7 events.