TEL AVIV, Israel (AP) 鈥 Israel鈥檚 killing of Yahya Sinwar, Hamas鈥 top leader and the mastermind of the group鈥檚 Oct. 7 attack, is a dramatic turning point in the brutal yearlong war that it touched off.
Sinwar鈥檚 killing on Wednesday decapitates the Palestinian militant group that was already reeling from up and down its ranks, and it is a potent symbolic achievement for Israel in its battle to destroy Hamas.
Israelis and Palestinians have just since the deadliest fighting in their decades-old conflict erupted, and Sinwar's killing could set the stage for how the remainder of the war plays out, or even prompt its conclusion 鈥 depending on how Israel and Hamas choose to proceed.
Sinwar's death could serve as an off-ramp for Israel toward ending the war
Sinwar, who after its previous leader was killed in a blast in July blamed on Israel, spent years building up Hamas鈥 military strength and is believed to have devised the Oct. 7, 2023, attack. After that assault, when Hamas-led militants killed some 1,200 people and abducted about 250 others, Israel pledged to destroy Hamas and .
With Sinwar at the top of that wanted list, his death is a major achievement for Israel. Analysts say Sinwar鈥檚 killing has presented Israel, which has struggled to articulate an exit strategy from Gaza, with an off-ramp to end the war.
鈥淭his would really be the cherry on the icing of the cake for Israel,鈥 said Nomi Bar-Yaacov, an associate fellow of the International Security Program at the Chatham House think tank in London. 鈥淚t should be easier to reach a deal.鈥
With the architect of the Oct. 7 attacks eliminated, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu could now tell Israelis that one of the war's aims has been reached. Politically, that might allow him to be more flexible on a cease-fire deal that ends the war in exchange for hostages 鈥 a condition he has so far refused to accept, at least in part, critics say, because it could threaten his rule.
Sinwar's death could have broader implications, depending on Israel's next moves
Analysts said the achievement was such a gamechanger that it was an opportunity for Israel to signal that it is ready to end the fighting in the region, including in Lebanon where Israel is battling Hezbollah.
鈥淭he opportunity to end the war entirely, as well as in Lebanon, ... it is entirely in our hands,鈥 Giora Eiland, a former head of Israel鈥檚 春色直播 Security Council, told Israeli Channel 12 News, saying Israel must use Sinwar's death to present its conditions for ending the wars on both fronts.
The families of hostages in Gaza had a similar message for Netanyahu. A group representing the families welcomed Sinwar's killing and called on Israel to reconcentrate its efforts toward negotiating a deal.
鈥淣etanyahu, don't bury the hostages. Go now to the negotiators and the Israeli public and present a new Israeli initiative,鈥 Einav Zangauker, whose son Matan is held in Gaza, said in a post on social media.
Khaled Elgindy, a senior fellow at the Washington-based Middle East Institute think tank, cautioned that Netanyahu has shown few indications that he is looking for an end to the conflict, with the army intensifying its operations in the north of Gaza in recent weeks.
鈥淭he war ... is not over yet,鈥 Netanyahu said in a video statement after the killing.
Netanyahu rules with the support of two far-right parties that have threatened to topple the government if the war ends under a cease-fire deal. They repeated their opposition to a deal after Sinwar's killing. They are also supporters of establishing Israeli settlements in the Gaza Strip, something the Israeli leader has publicly ruled out.
Netanyahu, who is on trial for alleged corruption, has also seen his political fortunes rise throughout the war, after they at first plummeted in response to Hamas' attack last year. Prolonging the war allows him to enjoy boosts of support after whatever successes he notches.
Other top Hamas officials may be more pliable
Sinwar was seen as a hard-liner with close ties to Hamas鈥 armed wing, and throughout repeated cease-fire negotiations with Israel was seen as having the final word on any agreement for Gaza and the release of dozens of Israeli hostages.
Sinwar's positions were directly at odds with Israel's. He stuck to demands for the release of hundreds of Palestinian prisoners, the full withdrawal of Israeli forces from Gaza and a lasting cease-fire. This even though much of the territory has been left in ruins and more than 42,000 Palestinians have been killed in the ongoing war, according to local officials, who don't differentiate between civilians and militants in their count.
According to Elgindy, Sinwar鈥檚 death will likely give more flexibility and control to the group鈥檚 political leadership in Qatar. This includes Khalil al-Hayya and Khaled Mashaal, key Hamas delegates of the monthslong talks.
Those leaders could be more responsive to pressure from Qatar, a key mediator that hosts some of Hamas' top leaders. Unlike Sinwar, these leaders are also not in hiding in Gaza, which could speed up progress on a deal.
Hamas leaders have proved replaceable in the past
For Hamas, Sinwar鈥檚 killing leaves a gaping hole in the militant group鈥檚 leadership, with its future in Gaza and beyond uncertain. It is a symbolic blow for a group already reeling from multiple assassinations of its leaders.
An Israeli airstrike killed Marwan Issa, deputy leader of Hamas鈥 military wing in March. Ismail Haniyeh, Hamas' former political leader, was assassinated in the blast in Tehran in July blamed on Israel.
Then in August, Israel said it killed Mohammed Deif, Hamas鈥 military chief and co-mastermind of the Oct. 7 attack, in an airstrike. Hamas has not confirmed that death.
Elgindy called Sinwar's killing a 鈥渕ajor blow鈥 to Hamas. But, he added, it was "not fatal since everyone is replaceable.鈥
Still, with so many leaders and commanders killed, at this point, it鈥檚 not clear who could fill his shoes.
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Jeffery reported from Ramallah, West Bank. Associated Press writer Danica Kirka contributed from London.
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This story has been amended to correct that Sinwar was killed on Wednesday.
