Israel apprehended officer responsible for Hamas leaders' security - report

Yahya Sinwar, leader of Hamas in the Gaza Strip, attends a rally marking the anniversary of Land Day, in Gaza City on March 30, 2022

(photo credit: ATTIA MUHAMMED/FLASH90)

The arrested Hamas official was tasked with organizing the security of the heads of Hamas' political bureau.

A senior Hamas member responsible for the security of Hamas leaders was arrested by Israeli forces several months ago, KAN news reported on Thursday.

The Hamas official was tasked with organizing the security of the heads of Hamas' political bureau, including the head of Hamas in Gaza, Yahya Sinwar.

The arrested official gave Israeli forces valuable intelligence about Hamas leaders in Gaza, as well as information about the days leading to the October 7th massacre and the first days of the war.

Sinwar believed to still be under Khan Yunis

On Monday, The Washington Post reported that Israeli, US, and Western intelligence and security officials believe that Sinwar is still hiding in tunnels under Khan Yunis and has not moved to Rafah or escaped to Egypt.

IDF soldiers operating in the tunnel used by Yahya Sinwar's brother in the Gaza Strip (credit: BENJAMIN WEINTHAL)

According to the report, the central challenge in capturing or killing Sinwar will be trying to do so without killing or injuring nearby hostages.

“It’s not about locating him, it’s about doing something” without putting the hostages at risk, a senior Israeli official told the Washington Post.

Sinwar was born in Khan Yunis in 1962. He became infamous for murdering suspected Palestinian collaborators, gaining the nickname "the Butcher of Khan Yunis" and eventually landing in an Israeli prison until he was released in 2011 as part of the deal to release IDF soldier Gilad Schalit from Hamas captivity.

Earlier in the war, Israeli media reported that the defense establishment believed that Sinwar and the commander of Hamas' al-Qassam Brigades, Mohammad Deif, were hiding under Khan Yunis, although, in recent weeks, some reports alleged that the two had fled to Rafah or even into Egypt.

The Hamas leader intended to conduct fighting from an underground fortified base called "Room 6," which was equipped for extended stays with military personnel and communications lines, according to IDF intel.

"Sinwar plans and acts accordingly to each situation and doesn't necessarily trust those around him," a military source told Maariv. "He will make mistakes, and we need to be there or in proximity to recognize it."

Now, he moves from place to place and plans his actions accordingly. "The distance between us and him will be shortened by one mistake too many of his."