Israel kills Hamas chief and alleged Oct. 7 mastermind

What happened

Yahya Sinwar, the leader of the Palestinian militant group Hamas and presumptive architect of its October 7 terrorist attack on southern Israel, was killed Wednesday by Israeli soldiers who encountered him by chance in southern Gaza, Israel said Thursday. His death was confirmed by DNA tests and dental records.

Who said what

Sinwar's demise marks an "opportunity to finally end the war in Gaza," Vice President Kamala Harris said. The hardline Hamas chief represented an "insurmountable obstacle" to achieving peace for Israelis and Palestinians alike, said President Joe Biden. "But much work remains before us."

Over the past year of warfare, "no target loomed larger for Israel" than Sinwar, who was "believed to still be closely overseeing Hamas military operations," The New York Times said. "Hamas will no longer rule Gaza," Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said in a speech celebrating Sinwar's death. "This is the start of the day after Hamas." Killing Sinwar was a "resounding moment of triumph," David Ignatius said at The Washington Post, but "Israel killed three Hamas leaders who preceded Sinwar without destroying the movement." If "Israel doesn't prepare wisely" for Netanyahu's "day after," he said, Gaza will remain a "place of smoldering rage" and "a new generation of Sinwars" may well take his place.

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What next?

Sinwar's death "may allow Israel to claim victory and agree to a cease-fire" and hostage deal long pushed by the Biden administration, the Times said. But the new Hamas leadership is a wild card, and even if Sinwar's successors are "more open to compromise," it appears "neither side is likely to immediately change course." "I'm happy that Sinwar is murdered," Ifat Kalderon, whose abducted cousin is still held by Hamas, said to The Associated Press, but "I'm scared about the 101 hostages."