After a whole year of devastating war in Gaza, Israel announced the killing of Hamas leader, Yahya Sinwar, on October 17, 2024. For over a year, Israel had been chasing Sinwar, but failed to pinpoint his location.
The initial Israeli reports indicated that an accident led to the killing of Sinwar, while Israeli soldiers were tracking several men in southern Gaza. The Israeli military statement said that Hamas leader was killed in an operation in the southern Gaza Strip. They identified his body after conducting DNA and other tests.
Leaked Information
However, the Former Senior Military Advisor to US Department of State, Colonel Abbas Dahouk, suggested that Israel may have been tracking Sinwar based on leaked information about his location from some Hamas insiders.
Speaking to Al-Hadath TV, Col. Dahouk noted Israel and the US have been searching for Sinwar for months. “I am sure that Israel and the US have utilized all their intelligence capabilities to search for Sinwar for over a year. If this did not happen by coincidence, perhaps the US and Israel have been tracking him for a while,” he said.
Hamas Insiders
Dahouk added that Israel and the US could have had intelligence from sources inside Gaza. “There are some trusted sources inside Hamas that have leaked some information about the whereabouts of Sinwar or his brother. Additionally, some hostages could say they have intelligence. It may be one of both sides, but Israel has trusted sources in this stage, and there will be more to come,” Dahouk said.
Israel believes Sinwar was the main architect behind Hamas attack on October 7, 2023, which killed 1,200 people and took 250 others hostages, leading to the ongoing war in Gaza. He was on the top of Israel’s most wanted list since the beginning of the war that has so far claimed the lives of more than 42,000 Palestinians.
المستشار العسكري السابق للخارجية الأميركية عباس داهوك لـ”#الحدث“: مصادر موثوقة من داخل #حماس سربت معلومات عن أماكن تواجد #السنوار#قناة_الحدث pic.twitter.com/SOYnZiNul2
— ا لـحـدث (@AlHadath) October 17, 2024
