Israeli Military Missed Two Opportunities to Target Hamas Leaders Before October War
In the lead-up to the October 7, 2023 attack that ignited a violent conflict in Gaza, an Israeli military investigation has found that the army missed two critical opportunities to eliminate Yahya Sinwar and Mohammed Deif, leaders of Hamas, despite having operational plans in place.
The investigation, reported by Yedioth Ahronoth, indicates that the Israeli Security Agency (Shin Bet) had supported a proposal to target Sinwar and Deif in 2023. However, the then Chief of Staff opposed the execution of these plans, adhering to a government policy that discouraged attacks on Hamas during periods of relative calm.
Testimonies from senior military officers revealed that two viable opportunities to eliminate Sinwar and Deif existed before the October 7 attack, yet these were not acted upon. Furthermore, a commission led by Reserve General Sami Tarjuman disclosed that the Southern Command had developed plans for the elimination of these leaders, but implementation was stalled as the Chief of Staff chose to focus on the northern front instead.
In light of these findings, Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz announced in November 2025 the reopening of the investigation to assess the military's failures related to the October 7 attack.
As part of ongoing operations against Hamas leaders, Sinwar was killed on October 16, 2024, during an operation in Rafah, near the Tal al-Sultan refugee camp, when a routine patrol escalated into armed conflict. Deif, commander of the Kassam Brigades, was killed on July 13, 2024, in an airstrike on a building in Khan Younis, where he was present with other leaders, including Raef Salameh, the commander of the Kassam Brigades in Khan Younis.
On January 30, 2025, Kassam Brigades spokesman Abu Obeida announced the deaths of Deif and several military leaders.
