US special operations forces in Israel have been primarily focused on hostage recovery efforts, which often overlap with helping find Hamas leadership. This is due to the practice of Hamas leaders keeping hostages around them.
According to a US defense official, the main purpose is to locate hostages, but in doing so, they also target high-value individuals. The official mentioned that these activities are closely intertwined, making it challenging to separate them.
Since last year, US officials have acknowledged the presence of special operations forces in Israel to assist with hostage recovery. President Joe Biden recently directed them to help locate and track Yahya Sinwar and other Hamas leaders following Hamas' attacks on October 7.
Israel reported that Sinwar was killed during an operation in Gaza. US officials had believed Sinwar was underground and potentially using hostages as shields. The Israeli military confirmed that Sinwar was found near the location where six hostages were recovered the previous month.
Despite the operation resulting in Sinwar's death, US officials clarified that American intelligence was not directly involved. National security adviser Jake Sullivan credited the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) for the operation's success and praised the collaborative efforts of special operations personnel and intelligence professionals in creating counterterrorism pressure.
The Israeli military indicated that Sinwar was attempting to flee the Rafah area in southern Gaza and move north when he was killed.
