How Israel Found and Killed Hamas Leader Yahya Sinwar in Gaza
A unit of Israeli trainee soldiers came upon Yahya Sinwar, the leader of Hamas, while on an operation in southern Gaza, defense officials said.
Ronen Bergman and Aaron Boxerman
Reporting from Tel Aviv and Jerusalem
For over a year, Israel’s security establishment, backed by the United States, dedicated vast resources and gathered mounds of intelligence in its hunt for Yahya Sinwar, the Hamas leader who was an architect of the Oct. 7 attacks.
But in the end, a unit of trainee squad commanders unexpectedly encountered Mr. Sinwar while on an operation in southern Gaza, according to four Israeli defense officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the matter.
Where was Sinwar found?
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Ronen Bergman is a staff writer for The New York Times Magazine, based in Tel Aviv. His latest book is “Rise and Kill First: The Secret History of Israel’s Targeted Assassinations,” published by Random House. More about Ronen Bergman
Aaron Boxerman is a Times reporter covering Israel and Gaza. He is based in Jerusalem. More about Aaron Boxerman
Our Coverage of the Middle East Crisis
A Surprise Battlefield Encounter: Although Yahya Sinwar was a major target of Israel’s military campaign in Gaza, the soldiers who killed the militant chief had not expected to run across him, Israeli officials said.
Shake but Not Topple Hamas: Analysts call the killing of several Hamas leaders, including Yahya Sinwar, a deep blow to the Palestinian militant group, but expect it to keep fighting.
Egypt Replaces Key Gaza Mediator: President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi of Egypt replaced the powerful head of the country’s intelligence services, according to state media, switching out the Egyptian official who plays a leading role in cease-fire negotiations between Israel and Hamas.
U.S. Indicts 2 Hackers: The Justice Department has accused two Sudanese brothers of cyberattacks on U.S. infrastructure as well as preventing possibly lifesaving alerts from reaching Israelis as the Hamas attack unfolded.
Hunger in Gaza: The U.N. has warned of the risk of famine for some 400,000 civilians in northern Gaza amid a renewed Israeli offensive in the enclave. Families say they are rationing what little food they can find.
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