Israel made Sinwar assassination look easy; thanks to Bislach brigade

TEL AVIV: The assassination of Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar, infamously known as the 'Bin Laden of Gaza', is one that immensely gives a sense of satisfaction to Israeli defence forces. Sinwar was the mastermind behind the devastating terrorist attack by Hamas on Israeli soil on October 7 last year. Israel earlier vowed to eliminate Sinwar in the shortest possible time to exact revenge.

So how did Israel make Sinwar’s killing look so easy? The Hamas leader was sequestered in his secret abode with fighters acting as human shields. However, the difference was made with the introduction of Bislach Brigade training unit of the Israeli army. The clash took place on the street of Tal as Sultan in Rafah.

An Israeli drone entered the building in search of Sinwar. Sinwar, lying on the second-floor couch, threw a stick at the drone. Bathed in a pool of blood, Sinwar covered his face with a cloth. Amidst his struggle to walk past the drone, an Israeli army tank and a Matador missile targeted the building leaving it to shreds.

The body of Sinwar was found from the debris and the DNA test confirmed the identity.

The Bislach Brigade is part of the Israel Defense Forces that trains infantry corps squad commanders and platoon sergeants. Established in 1974. They participated in the Gaza disengagement plan and were the first unit to capture the border of the Gaza Strip. Yahya Sinwar was killed by the unit's 17th Battalion Brigade.

Israel and the United States had difficulty locating Sinwar because the leader never used electronic devices. Sinwar hid in the Hamas tunnels under the guise of human shields.

The Israeli authorities said that Sinwar was using the prisoners as human shields. However, during the search conducted at the place where Sinwar was killed, the Israeli forces did not find any such prisoners.