The Israeli Army Missed Two Opportunities to Assassinate Hamas Leaders Before the October War
Before the outbreak of the October 7, 2023 attack that ignited a bloody war on Gaza, an Israeli military investigation revealed that the army missed two opportunities to assassinate Yahya Sinwar and Mohammed Deif, leaders of Hamas, despite having plans prepared for that.
According to the investigation reported by Yedioth Ahronoth, the "Shabak" agency supported a proposal to assassinate Sinwar and Deif in 2023, but the then Chief of Staff opposed the execution, adhering to the Israeli government's policy of not targeting Hamas during periods of calm.
Testimonies from senior army officers showed that two opportunities were available to assassinate Sinwar and Deif before the October 7 attack, but they were not exploited.
The committee led by reserve General Sami Turjeman revealed that the Southern Command had put plans in place to eliminate the leaders, but they were not executed despite recommendations from senior officers, as the Chief of Staff preferred to focus on the northern front.
In follow-up to the case, Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant issued a decision in November 2025 to reopen the investigation to review the army's failures related to the October 7 attack.
In the context of Israeli operations against Hamas leaders later, Sinwar was killed on October 16, 2024, during an operation in the city of Rafah near the Tal al-Sultan camp during a routine patrol that turned into an armed clash.
As for Deif, the commander of the Izz ad-Din al-Qassam Brigades, he was assassinated in an airstrike on July 13, 2024, on a building in Khan Younis where he was present with other leaders, including Raef Salameh, the commander of the Khan Younis Brigades.
On January 30, 2025, the spokesperson for the Izz ad-Din al-Qassam Brigades, Abu Ubaida, announced the death of Deif along with a group of military leaders.
