Military Chief of Staff Herzi Halevi said Wednesday that Israel is more determined than ever to track down Yehya al-Sinwar now that he has been appointed supreme leader of Hamas.
Al-Sinwar’s appointment as the new head of the Palestinian Islamist group’s Political Bureau came on Tuesday after the previous incumbent, Ismail Haniyeh, was assassinated in Iran last week.
Al-Sinwar was previously the leader of Hamas in the Gaza Strip, where he evaded Israeli forces for the past 10 months of war. He was one of the masterminds behind the October 7 attacks in southern Israel that killed some 1,200 people.
“The change of his title does not prevent us from pursuing him, it motivates us. We will do our best to find him, target him and make sure that they replace the head of the Political Bureau again,” Halevi said during his visit to Tel Nof air base.
“We have conducted very important operations in recent weeks, taking out the top commanders of our most problematic enemies, and we are not giving up.”
Amid growing fears that Iran and its regional allies will soon launch a retaliatory strike on Israel, the general added that Israel is “on the highest state of readiness, both in attack and defense.”
