Netanyahu Declined Opportunities To Kill Sinwar In 2023

On January 28, 2026, Israeli media outlets reported that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was presented with multiple opportunities in early 2023 to authorize an assassination of Yahya Sinwar, the leader of Hamas in Gaza, before the October 7, 2023 attack. According to a senior defense official cited by Channel 12 and other sources, Israel’s internal security service, Shin Bet, located Sinwar’s position on at least 11 occasions in February and March 2023 and advised that a targeted operation could be carried out.

Netanyahu allegedly chose not to approve any assassination plans and did not convene senior officials for discussions on the proposed operations. The Prime Minister’s Office issued a denial of the reports, stating that the claims were inaccurate and that Netanyahu had repeatedly called for action against Hamas leadership, but that security agencies had blocked such efforts. The differing accounts reflect ongoing debate in Israel over decision‑making in the months before the October 7 attack.