TEL AVIV—The death of Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar creates an opportunity for Israel to declare victory and wind down the war in the Gaza Strip . How he decides could determine the fate of the wider war in the Middle East, the hostages in Gaza, Israel’s frayed global relations and Netanyahu himself. Throughout this year, Sinwar resisted a cease-fire on terms that Israel could live with, Israeli and U.S. officials have said. “Now it’s clear to everyone, in Israel and in the world, why we insisted on not ending the war,” Netanyahu said. With Israel’s military accumulating tactical wins against Hamas and Hezbollah and preparing to strike their backer Iran, the question is whether Netanyahu wants to stop.

Source: Wall Street Journal October 18, 2024 08:21 UTC