In response to the harrowing October 7 attack by Hamas on southern Israel, Israel’s intelligence agencies, the Mossad and Shin Bet, have collaboratively established a specialized unit named “Nili,” which draws its name from a WWI-era Jewish underground organization. The acronym “Nili” in Hebrew stands for Netzach Yisroel Lo Yishaker – “the Eternal One of Israel will not lie.” The aim of this unit is to identify and neutralize all terrorists involved in the surprise attack, which saw approximately 2,500 terrorists entering Israel from various fronts, causing the death of around 1,400 individuals, the majority being civilians. An additional 200+ hostages are still being held captive in Gaza. Two high-profile figures, Hamas military commander Muhammad Deif and political leader Yahya Sinwar, are now also on Israel’s radar, being labeled as primary orchestrators of the October 7 assault. Israel’s Defense Minister, Yoav Gallant, delivered a strong message, stating, “Hamas terrorists have two options: Be killed or surrender unconditionally.” Hamas, in response, indicated that they are not intimidated by such threats. Various sources assert that both Deif and Sinwar have taken refuge in an intricate tunnel system in Gaza, designed to shield them from aerial bombardments. Sinwar, elected as the Hamas leader in Gaza in 2017, and Deif have been familiar figures in Israel’s intelligence briefings. Both originating from the Khan Younis refugee camp in Gaza, they were added to the U.S.’s list of most-wanted international terrorists in 2015. Sinwar was imprisoned for 23 years in Israeli jails before his release in exchange for French-Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit in 2011. However, very little is public knowledge about Deif, who has been Israel’s primary adversary for the past two decades, with only a few dated photos available for identification. Although both leaders have evaded numerous attempts on their lives, their elimination would significantly impact Hamas. (YWN World Headquarters – NYC)