In a recent revelation, informed US sources have disclosed that the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) is actively gathering information about senior Hamas leaders and the location of hostages in Gaza.
This information is being shared with Israel during its conflict in the region, according to American officials who spoke to the US newspaper “New York Times.”
Following the surprise attacks led by Hamas on October 7th, a new task force was established in the days that followed.
The attacks resulted in 1,140 casualties, according to Israeli authorities, with about 240 people held as captives in Gaza.
The newly formed task force focuses on gathering information about senior Hamas leaders.
Officials have revealed that immediately after the October 7th attack, Jake Sullivan, National Security Advisor, issued a memorandum to intelligence agencies and the Department of Defense, instructing the formation of this task force and an increase in intelligence gathering on Hamas leadership.
While no new legal authorities accompanied the establishment of the task force, the White House elevated the priority of intelligence collection on Hamas.
The significance of this intelligence to Israel remains unclear as no senior Hamas leaders have been captured or killed as a result.
The United States does not provide intelligence information to Israel regarding low or mid-level Hamas activists.
Before October 7th, Israel estimated the number of Hamas fighters to be between 20,000 and 25,000.
By the end of 2023, Israel informed U.S. officials that they believed they had killed nearly one-third of that force.
Some American officials argue that targeting lower-level Hamas members is misleading as they can be easily replaced and pose unwarranted risks to civilians.
They also contend that Israel’s military strikes in Gaza, which according to the Gaza Ministry of Health resulted in the deaths of about 24,000 Palestinians, mostly women and children, could ultimately lead to the reemergence of Hamas fighters.
However, eliminating Hamas’s strategic military leadership is a different matter. Israel would achieve a significant victory if it were to kill or capture Yahya Sinwar, believed to be the mastermind behind the October 7th attack, or Mohammed Deif, the military wing leader of Hamas.
Such operational success would grant Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu more leeway with the Israeli public to conclude the military campaign in Gaza.
The report also unveiled that targeting Sinwar is not just a matter of locating him; US intelligence believes he is hiding in the deepest part of the tunnel network beneath Khan Yunis in southern Gaza.
It is also believed that he is surrounded by hostages used as human shields, significantly complicating efforts to apprehend or eliminate him.
