Netanyahu rejected Shin Bet recommendation to assassinate Sinwar before Oct. 7
Ronen Bar warned Netanyahu of a possible Hamas "earthquake" before October 7 and urged the prime minister to approve strikes on the group's senior leadership.
Less than a week prior to the October 7 assault, Chief of Israeli Security Agency Ronen Bar informed Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of a targeted assassination plan for Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar, alongside other high-ranking officials. Bar asserted that their intelligence services had detected Hamas preparing something catastrophic, a notion described as an "earthquake" by the agency.
Despite receiving this recommendation, Netanyahu declined to proceed with the plan. This decision gains further weight considering a recent report by Haaretz suggesting UAE President Mohammed bin Zayed also cautioned Netanyahu about a week and a half prior, warning that Sinwar was plotting a significant action against Israel. This warning came during a telephone conversation lasting approximately 45 minutes, during which the UAE President expressed apprehension about Hamas preparing for a major move that could incite violence, destabilize the region, and potentially undermine the Abraham Accords.
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