Hamas Leader Sinwar Killed, Zelensky’s War Plan

THE WAR NEWSLETTER — OCT 18 2024

Good morning. Today’s update covers updates from Israel and Ukraine.

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Map of today’s newsletter:

• 🇮🇱 Israel kills Yahya Sinwar

• ⚔️ A thermal camouflage technology

• 🇺🇦 Ukraine’s victory plan

1 - ISRAEL

1 thing to know

Yahya Sinwar, the leader of Hamas and the terrorist who led the October 7 massacre, was killed in an IDF strike.

The context 

IDF troops operating in Gaza were engaged in a firefight with Hamas terrorists on Wednesday. One of the terrorists ran up to the second floor of a building and was discovered hiding by an IDF drone. The IDF fired a tank shell into the building, killing the man. 

The day after, IDF soldiers noticed the dead man’s resemblance to Yahya Sinwar and his DNA was subsequently tested, proving that he was indeed Sinwar. 

Sinwar worked with Hamas his entire life, initially operating a unit dedicated to killing any Palestinians who provided information to Israel. Sinwar spent 23 years in Israeli jails, serving four life sentences for killing two Israeli soldiers and four Palestinians. While in prison, he was given life-saving brain surgery by Israeli professionals.

He was later released from prison in an exchange for a kidnapped IDF soldier in 2011, and went on to orchestrate the October 7, 2023 slaughter.

Hamas also confirmed Sinwar’s death.

More from the region

Israeli forces continue to fight Hezbollah in southern Lebanon, and Hezbollah continues to launch rockets into northern Israel daily, forcing citizens of northern towns to remain evacuated.

Earlier today two gunmen were killed when IDF soldiers caught them trying to cut through the barbed wire separating Israel from Jordan. Two IDF soldiers were also wounded. The gunmen were members of the Muslim Brotherhood organization.

In the south, the IDF continues to move trucks of humanitarian aid across the border into Gaza.

In the news

• Jordanian gunmen killed entering Israel

• Sinwar killed

• Hezbollah threatens escalation

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TECH SPOTLIGHT: ADAPTIV

Adaptiv is an adaptive camouflage technology developed by BAE Systems that masks the infrared signature of an object.  It consists of hex-shaped tiles that cover a military asset, that are then controlled like pixels to output the same infrared signature as the backdrop behind the object, which is detected via an on-board camera.

The technology not only allows for an object to blend in with it's surroundings on an infrared scanner, but it can also mimic the signature of another vehicle, so that a tank could appear as civilian car.  It could also be used as an identification device to reduce risk of friendly fire, by displaying identification tags.

What it’s used for

Despite being first unveiled in 2011, BAE Systems Adaptiv camouflage systems are not yet widely in use.  The system has shown promise in testing and trials, but so far as not seen wide adoption by military forces

Read more here.

2 - UKRAINE

1 thing to know

CUkrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky presented his country's victory plan, intended to win the war by the end of 2025.

The context 

Zelensky presented the plan to win the war to parliament in Kyiv, which could end the war next year. 

The plan itself has five points - an immediate invitation to join NATO; continued Western support with weapons and equipment, and allowing use of long-range weapons to strike targets inside Russia; Western and Ukrainian non-nuclear deterrence against Russia; Western investment into Ukraine's growth, and post-war, having Ukrainian soldiers replace certain Western troops currently stationed in Europe. 

Three additional aspects of the plan were only shared with Ukraine's Western allies.  The plan will be presented to European Council by Zelensky on October 17.

More from the region

In response to the Ukrainian plan, the Kremlin said Kyiv needed to "sober up," and the only way for the war to end was for Ukraine to "realize the futility of the policy it is pursuing."

The Russian military have been committed to a year-long effort along the front lines in eastern and north eastern Ukraine, in an effort to keep Ukraine from using the manpower and equipment for counteroffensive efforts against the whole of Russian front. 

Russian forces are also still engaged in trying to remove the Ukrainian salient from Kursk Oblast. The current Russian war strategy is apparently relying on consistent and indefinite offensive operations, which are hoped to decrease as manpower and equipment availability degrades.

In the news

• Ukrainian war plan

• Russian offensive status

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