Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar, the mastermind behind the October 7 atrocity, be put on trial On Thursday, the Gaza city of Rafah was attacked not by precision airstrikes, but by ground forces that were only present to fire shots as Israel ignored them. pressure President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris have called for ground forces to be moved away from Rafah.
The Israeli military said Sinwar was removed by Southern Army soldiers “operating in the southern Gaza Strip” based on “information indicating the suspected location of Hamas officials.”
Mr. Sinwar was reportedly killed by an Israeli tank shell firing at the spot where Hamas militants were found. Israeli soldiers were surprised to learn that they had killed a Hamas leader and several of his senior officials.
WATCH: Israel Defense Forces drone reveals last moments of Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar
The premise of Biden and Harris' opposition to a ground invasion of Rafah was that too many civilians would be harmed and that Israel should instead fight Hamas with precision airstrikes. Rafah was the terrorist organization's last stronghold, as well as a place of refuge for displaced Gazan civilians.
Israel has certainly had success with its recent airstrikes. excluded Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah visited Lebanon three weeks ago, a feat once thought nearly impossible.
But airstrikes are not a magic eraser. The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) hurt Even for civilian casualties from the most precisely targeted bombings. Even when the IDF points out that eliminating terrorists hiding behind human shields is nearly impossible without some collateral damage, that explanation is ignored.
Sinwar was a difficult target, but he managed to hide in Rafah for several months. Israel's elite military task force hunting They attacked him through Hamas's terrorist tunnel network across Gaza. He became a target of opportunity for IDF ground forces, who were unaware that they were engaging Hamas leaders and their bodyguards. Precision air strikes require solid intelligence and careful targeting. Only carpet bombing attacks targets of opportunity.
Shinwar's body was quickly identified through DNA testing, but this would not have been possible without ground forces standing by to retrieve it. Terrorist organizations have been known to pretend to be alive for months after killing their leaders with bombs or missiles.
Immediate confirmation of Sinwar's death would be a blow to the morale of remaining Hamas terrorists. That's for sure appeared His death was announced to the general public over a loudspeaker in Tel Aviv in order to boost Israeli morale.
Several passports and a large amount of cash were found on Mr Sinwar's body, providing key evidence that he had fled across the border to Egypt. Only the presence of Israeli ground forces prevented his plan to bail out “Palestinians” from justice to succeed.
Only ground forces can secure and maintain ground. When IDF moved to Gazacaptured the Egyptian border crossing on the first day, and shortly thereafter gained control of the key border road, the Philadelphia Corridor. Israel said control of the Rafah-Egypt border must be part of the ceasefire agreement. Establishing ownership of the land on the ground was an important first step in negotiations.
Ground forces can also discover evidence. The IDF has taken great care compile the evidence View of Hamas tunnels, rocket launchers and ammunition depots hidden In civilian areas while passing through Rafah.
The Rafah invasion wiped out Hamas operatives who might otherwise have been hiding among civilians. I.D.F. said In September, it announced it had killed hundreds of Hamas militants who attacked Hamas forces in Rafah.
