Since Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar was released from prison back to the Gaza Strip in the Gilad Shalit exchange in 2011, there have been multiple attempts by the Shin Bet to get the government to approve a strike on him, according to Yedioth Ahronoth’s Nadav Eyal.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu vetoed the killing of Sinwar five times, Eyal writes, looking to avoid sparking a war with Hamas.
During his candidacy, Naftali Bennett actively looked into the idea. After the terror attack in Elad in May 2022, according to the report, the Shin Bet again pushed a plan to assassinate Hamas’s leader, but the IDF opposed it.
Then-defense minister Benny Gantz was also against a strike, believing Hamas was deterred.
Eyal does not cite a source, but the piece does appear to reflect the Shin Bet placing responsibility on the political leadership.
Help us report truthfully on social media
As a multimedia journalist, my job is to take the quality, fact-based journalism produced by The Times of Israel newsroom and make it accessible across every platform — from Instagram posts to podcasts to short-form videos.
This is how many, especially young people, consume news these days. But misinformation is rampant on social media. Our team at ToI produces accurate, responsible short-form reporting on Israel and the Jewish world.
If you believe in the importance of factual social media journalism, please consider joining our reader support group, The Times of Israel Community. Your financial support is essential to sustain responsible multimedia reporting.
— Gabriella Jacobs, multimedia journalist
Support our work
Support our work
Already a member? Sign in to stop seeing this
You're a dedicated reader
We’re really pleased that you’ve read X Times of Israel articles in the past month.
That’s why we started the Times of Israel - to provide discerning readers like you with must-read coverage of Israel and the Jewish world.
So now we have a request. Unlike other news outlets, we haven’t put up a paywall. But as the journalism we do is costly, we invite readers for whom The Times of Israel has become important to help support our work by joining The Times of Israel Community.
For as little as $6 a month you can help support our quality journalism while enjoying The Times of Israel AD-FREE, as well as accessing exclusive content available only to Times of Israel Community members.
Thank you,
David Horovitz, Founding Editor of The Times of Israel
Join Our Community
Join Our Community
Already a member? Sign in to stop seeing this
From the Liveblog of
Thursday, February 22, 2024
Add ToI as a Preferred Source on Google
