Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is facing accusations of purposely missing multiple opportunities to eliminate Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar.
Speaking at the Institute for National Security Studies conference in Tel Aviv on Thursday, former Shin Bet Chief Nadav Argaman suggested that Netanyahu’s decision to refrain from targeting Sinwar was driven by a desire to avoid military risks.
“Sinwar lives, unfortunately, because Israel does not want to engage in military adventurism,” said Argaman. “If we had launched a surprise attack on Hamas, we would be in a completely different situation.”
According to Argaman, “Israel decided that it will buy calm even if it came with a very high price later on,” adding that Israel “has become addicted to calm.”
Serving as the head of Shin Bet from 2016 to 2021, Argaman highlighted that the notion of eliminating Sinwar had support from his agency’s leadership, both past and present, including Yoram Cohen and Ronen Bar, the latter being the current director.
Sinwar, who has led Gaza since 2017, is notorious for his early involvement in forming Hamas’s Majed squads, which targeted Arabs accused of collaborating with Israel, personally contributing to the death of 12 individuals. Despite being sentenced to life imprisonment for these actions, an Israeli medical intervention saved his life by treating a cancerous tumor.
Released in the 2011 Gilad Shalit prisoner exchange, Sinwar’s release saw over a thousand security prisoners freed. Known for his fixation on the Jewish State’s destruction, Sinwar’s elimination has been discussed as a critical step toward achieving Israel’s goals in the Gaza Strip.
