'Israel' had plans to assassinate Hamas leaders before October 7: Ynet

By Al Mayadeen English
Source: Israeli media
27 Mar 2025 14:28
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A groundbreaking expose has revealed that Israeli security agencies prepared but ultimately shelved a high-stakes operation to assassinate Hamas leaders Yahya Sinwar and Mohammad Deif in early 2023.

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Then-Chief of the General Staff Lieutenant-General Herzi Halevi places a wreath during a memorial ceremony marking the Hebrew calendar anniversary of October 7 last year, at the Mount Herzl military cemetery in al-Quds, Sunday, October 27, 2024. (AP)

A bombshell investigation by Yedioth Ahronoth has uncovered that Israeli security forces developed but ultimately abandoned plans to eliminate Hamas leaders Yahya Sinwar and Mohammed Deif in early 2023, mere months before October 7.

According to senior security sources, Israeli intelligence had formulated a comprehensive operational plan to target Hamas' top leadership in Gaza. The proposed strike, described as "operationally ready", reached Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's desk in the first half of 2023. However, the Prime Minister reportedly rejected the plan based on the assessment that Hamas had been successfully deterred following the Israeli 2023 aggression codenamed Operation "Shield and Arrow" against the Palestinian Islamic Jihad.

The intelligence blind spot

This revelation comes amid growing evidence of systemic intelligence failures within "Israel's" security establishment. Military intelligence unit Aman allegedly maintained for nearly a decade that Hamas lacked both the capability and intention to launch a large-scale attack, despite mounting evidence to the contrary. The report suggests this fundamental misreading of Hamas' intentions directly contributed to the dismissal of the proposed leadership strike.

The Prime Minister's Office has pushed back against the newspaper's account, stating that no fully developed plan was formally presented for approval. Officials claim that security agencies themselves advised against such operations due to operational risks and limited expected gains.

Security analysts note that this disclosure raises profound questions about "Israel's" pre-war decision-making.

The report is expected to fuel existing Knesset investigations into the intelligence and policy failures surrounding October 7. Opposition leaders are already calling for expanded hearings to examine why this potential preventive measure was not pursued.