Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar, the architect of the October 7 atrocities, was brought to justice in the Gaza city of Rafah on Thursday not by a precision airstrike, but by ground forces who were only present to take the shot because Israel ignored pressure from President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris to keep ground forces out of Rafah.
According to the Israeli military, Sinwar was eliminated by soldiers from the Southern Command who were “operating in the southern Gaza Strip” based on “intelligence that indicated the suspected locations of senior members of Hamas.”
Sinwar was reportedly killed by a shell from an Israeli tank, which fired on a position where Hamas gunmen had been spotted. The Israeli soldiers were surprised to discover they had killed the leader of Hamas, along with several of his high-ranking officers.
WATCH: IDF Drone Reveals Hamas Leader Yahya Sinwar’s Last Moments
Israel Defense Forces
The premise of Biden and Harris’s opposition to a ground invasion of Rafah was that too many civilians would be harmed, so Israel should fight Hamas with precision airstrikes instead. Rafah was both the last stronghold of the terrorist gang and a refuge for displaced Gaza civilians.
Israel has certainly been successful with airstrikes lately, including the one that eliminated Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah in Lebanon three weeks ago, a feat once thought nearly impossible.
Airstrikes are not magic erasers, however. The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) have been excoriated for civilian casualties from even the most precisely targeted bombardment. When the IDF points out that eliminating terrorists who hide behind human shields is almost impossible to do without some collateral damages, their explanations have been ignored.
Sinwar was a cagey target who successfully hid in Rafah for months. An elite Israeli military task force has been hunting him through the Hamas terror tunnel network all across Gaza. He became a target of opportunity for IDF ground forces, who did not realize they were engaging the leader of Hamas and his bodyguards. Precision airstrikes require solid intelligence and careful targeting. Only carpet bombing hits targets of opportunity.
Sinwar’s body was quickly identified using DNA tests, which would have been impossible if ground forces were not on hand to take possession of the body. Terrorist groups have been known to pretend their leaders are still alive for months after a bomb or missile kills them.
The immediate confirmation of Sinwar’s demise will deal a blow to the morale of remaining Hamas terrorists. It certainly appeared to do some good for Israeli morale, as his death was announced to the public over loudspeakers in Tel Aviv.
There is substantial evidence that Sinwar was in the process of fleeing across the border to Egypt, as multiple passports and large amounts of cash were found on his body. Only the presence of Israeli ground forces kept him from succeeding in his plan to bail on the “Palestinian people” so he could escape justice.
Only ground troops can seize and hold ground. When the IDF moved into Gaza, it took control of the Egyptian border crossing on the first day and gained control over the vital “Philadelphi Corridor” border road soon afterward. Israel has said control of the Rafah-Egypt border must be part of any ceasefire deal. Establishing ownership of that property with boots on the ground was an essential first step in negotiations.
Ground troops can also uncover evidence. The IDF has been meticulously compiling evidence of Hamas tunnels, rocket launchers, and ammo dumps hidden in civilian areas as it combs through Rafah.
The Rafah invasion flushed out Hamas operatives who might otherwise have remained hidden among the civilian population. The IDF said in September that it has killed hundreds of Hamas militants who attacked its forces in Rafah.
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