25 October 2024

Israel’s Killing of Yahya Sinwar Is Not a Turning Point

Daniel Byman

The Israeli killing of Yahya Sinwar, the head of Hamas and the key architect of the Oct. 7, 2023 attacks that killed almost 1,200 people, may prove to be more of an anti-climax than a turning point in the Israel-Gaza war. The killing is yet another indicator that Israel has devastated Hamas as an organization, but both Hamas and Israel appear ready to continue fighting, and Israel has yet to resolve the harder question of what should come next in Gaza.

Sinwar had been a leading member of Hamas from the group’s inception. He spent many years in prison until a 2011 prisoner swap and was known for his militant views. Since the Oct. 7 attacks, Israel has made him public enemy number one, declaring him a “dead man walking” early in the war—a promise that, after a year of brutal conflict, Israel made good on.

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