Blinken urges Israel to capitalise on Hamas leader’s killing to end Gaza war

In a statement issued by his office, Netanyahu said Sinwar’s elimination “may have a positive effect on the return of the hostages, the achievement of all the goals of the war, and the day after the war”.

But there was no mention of a possible ceasefire after a year of war in which Hamas’ military capabilities have been greatly degraded and Gaza largely reduced to rubble, with most of its 2.3 million Palestinians displaced.

Western allies of Israel see Sinwar’s killing last week as a potential breakthrough by providing Netanyahu’s far-right government political cover to assert that its objectives have been achieved in Gaza.

But Israel has maintained that it will not stop fighting until the Palestinian militant group has been utterly destroyed as a military force and governing entity in Gaza.

Hamas has refused to free scores of hostages in Gaza seized in its Oct 7, 2023 raid on Israel without an Israeli pledge to end the war and pull out of the territory.