Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu repeatedly rejected proposals to assassinate Hamas leaders, including during a meeting six days before the 7 October 2023 attack, according to a report by Israel’s Channel 12.
The report, which aired on Saturday, said Netanyahu turned down plans to assassinate Yahya Sinwar, the now-killed Hamas leader, and Mohammed Deif, whom Israel alleges was killed in August – a claim denied by Hamas.
The investigation found that Netanyahu received detailed intelligence in 2014 about Hamas’ plans to invade Israel but blocked any significant responses to Hamas fighters’ activities and training near the border with the Gaza Strip.
Channel 12 also reported that in 2018, Netanyahu rejected a plan proposed by then-Defence Minister Avigdor Lieberman and the Shin Bet intelligence agency to kill senior Hamas leaders, including Sinwar and Deif. Instead, he opted to send then-Mossad chief Yossi Cohen to Qatar to negotiate financial support for Hamas in exchange for maintaining calm in southern Israel. …..more
