According to CNN, there are major repercussions from the killing Sinwarespecially in Washington. His death – perhaps more than anything else – was the event that many American officials saw as… turning point In the war between Israel and Hamas, which has been going on for more than a year.
The most important goal
With the ceasefire agreement and hostage exchange deal stalling for months, senior officials in the US administration hoped that Sinwar would eventually be eliminated, which could open new horizons that are not possible in the current circumstances.
American officials saw Sinwar as the most important target for Israel to declare an end to its war in Gaza.
Even in discussions of a comprehensive “all-for-all” deal — which would include the release of all hostages held by Hamas in exchange for all Palestinian prisoners claimed by Hamas — a deal considered highly unlikely, some U.S. officials saw the idea as a possibility. It becomes possible if Sinwar is eliminated.
Does Hamas accept concessions?
According to the New York Times, Sinwar’s killing could push Hamas to accept some of Israel’s demands, or give Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu a symbolic victory that would give him the necessary political cover to soften his negotiating position.
Since the outbreak of the war, most ceasefire talks have been held in Egypt and Qatar. However, Sinwar played a pivotal role, even from his hideout in Gaza. According to officials familiar with the talks, Sinwar’s approval through Hamas negotiators was required before any concession could be accepted.
Although Hamas officials previously confirmed that Sinwar is not the final decision maker in the movement’s decisions, his leadership role in Gaza and his strong personality made him have great influence in the way Hamas operates, according to his allies and opponents.
“No decision can be made without consulting Sinwar,” said Salah al-Din al-Awawda, a Hamas member and political analyst, who formed a friendship with Sinwar while they were imprisoned in Israel during the 1990s and 2000s. Al-Awawda added: “Sinwar is not an ordinary leader. He is a strong personality and an architect of events.”
The killing of Sinwar
Israeli Army Radio reported that the incident occurred during a precise ground operation in the city of Rafah in the southern Gaza Strip, during which Israeli forces killed three gunmen and took their bodies.
Sinwar, the main mastermind of the October 7, 2023 Hamas attack on Israel that ignited the Gaza war, was appointed head of Hamas’s political bureau, succeeding Ismail Haniyeh, who was assassinated in Tehran in July.
Sinwar gained his reputation by punishing Palestinians who cooperate with Israel, and has so far evaded detection by possibly hiding in a network of tunnels that Hamas built under the Gaza Strip over the past two decades.
Israel also killed Hassan Nasrallah, Secretary-General of the Lebanese Hezbollah group, in Beirut last month, in addition to a large number of members of the senior leadership of the group’s armed wing.
On October 7, Hamas launched an attack on Israel, which it says killed 1,200 people and took more than 250 hostages in the Gaza Strip.
The Israeli campaign led to the death of more than 42 thousand people, the destruction of large areas of the Gaza Strip, and the displacement of most of its residents.
