Israel Arrests Hamas Leaders' Security Chief

The Israeli broadcasting authority reported on Thursday that "Israeli forces have arrested the security chief of Hamas leaders," noting that he "provided extremely important information during the investigation." It was clarified that "the detainee provided Israeli forces with valuable intelligence about Hamas leaders in Gaza, as well as information regarding the days leading up to the massacre on October 7 and the early days of the war." According to the Jerusalem Post, the detainee was responsible for organizing the security for Hamas's political bureau heads, including Yahya Sinwar. The Washington Post reported on Monday that Israeli, American, and Western intelligence and security officials believe that the movement's leader in the sector, Yahya Sinwar, is still hiding in the tunnels under Khan Yunis and has not moved to Rafah or escaped to Egypt. The report indicated that the main challenge in capturing or killing Sinwar would be to do so without killing or injuring nearby hostages. The Jerusalem Post cited military sources stating that "the leader of Hamas in the Gaza Strip, Yahya Sinwar, intended to continue fighting from a fortified underground base called 'Room 6', a place equipped for long-term residence with military personnel and communication lines."