IDF forces surround home of Oct. 7 mastermind

By World Israel News Staff

Israeli forces surrounded the home of Hamas chief Yahya Sinwar, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced Wednesday night.

Speaking in a brief video statement, Netanyahu said that IDF troops were imposing a siege on Sinwar’s home, adding that his capture or killing are only a matter of time.

“Yesterday evening I said that our forces are now able to get anywhere in the Gaza Strip.”

“Right now they are surrounding Sinwar’s house. Now, his house is not his fortress, and he can run away, but it is only a matter of time until we get him.”

Sinwar, 62, has ruled the Gaza Strip as the chief of Hamas forces in the coastal enclave since Ismail Haniyeh, chairman of the Hamas political bureau, went into exile in 2017, moving to Qatar.

One of over 1,000 terrorists freed in 2011 in exchange for the release of captured IDF soldier Gilad Shalit, Sinwar was the mastermind behind Hamas’ surprise invasion of southwestern Israel on October 7th, which left over 1,200 Israelis dead and some 240 people held hostage in Gaza.

Netanyahu also addressed the status of the remaining Israeli captives in Gaza Wednesday night, saying that Israel is working to ensure that the International Red Cross is granted access to the captives.

“We are applying pressure in order to get the Red Cross the right to visit our hostages. To that end, I spoke again today with the president of the International Red Cross, and I told her that she must appeal to Qatar, which has demonstrated that it has a great deal of influence over Hamas, and demand that the Red Cross be allowed to visit our hostages, and, of course, that they be allowed to give them medication.”