US pushes for truce in Gaza after Israel kills Hamas leader

US President Joe Biden said he was sending Secretary of State Antony Blinken to Israel as part of efforts to end the conflict.

“Now is the time to move on,” Biden told reporters after landing in Berlin, Germany. “Move on, move toward a ceasefire in Gaza.” Yet Israel is showing no appetite to stop fighting, with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu saying “the mission before us is yet to be completed” despite Sinwar’s death. Hamas should no longer be able to govern in Gaza, he said, and a number of hostages still needed to be rescued.

The militant group killed 1,200 people and kidnapped about 250 in its raid of southern Israel last year that triggered the war, and dozens of those captured are believed to be still alive. The Israeli military said on Thursday, 18 October 2024,  that Sinwar, who hadn’t been heard from in weeks, was slain the previous day in southern Gaza in what appeared to be a chance encounter. The killing marked a significant moment in a conflict that’s spread to Lebanon, where Israel has escalated an offensive against the militant group Hezbollah after a year of cross-border skirmishes.

Hamas confirmed the killing on Friday. The group’s Deputy Leader Khalil al-Hayya, one of the contenders thought to succeed Sinwar, confirmed his death in a televised speech, saying that it only provides more motivation to carry on the fight to “liberate our people” until a Palestinian state is established.

He said the hostages “will not return unless the aggression on Gaza stops,” Israel withdraws from the enclave and Palestinian prisoners in Israeli jails are released.

Sinwar’s demise leaves Hamas with no clear successor. With the world bracing for Israel’s expected retaliation against Iran for an Oct. 1 missile barrage, Netanyahu scored another coup after the assassination of Hamas political chief Ismail Haniyeh in July and Hezbollah’s leader Hassan Nasrallah last month.

One possibility to take over Hamas is Al-Hayya, who is based in the Qatari capital of Doha and has been leading indirect negotiations with Israel. Other Arab commentators suggested that Sinwar’s brother Mohammed, one of the top commanders of the Qassam Brigades, might be another candidate.

In the hours after Sinwar’s killing became public, Hezbollah said it was transitioning to a new phase of the confrontation with Israel, according to a statement on Telegram. The group has been firing missiles into the north of the country since Israel started its campaign in Gaza, and has continued with its attacks since Israel’s escalation in Lebanon.

Israel’s operations in Lebanon have killed at least 1,500 people since last month, according to health ministry officials, and displaced more than a million. The campaign in Gaza has killed at least 42,000 people, according to health officials in the Hamas-run territory.

Both Hamas and Hezbollah are backed by Iran and designated terrorist groups by the US.

Lebanese Prime Minister Najib Mikati called out Iran for what he described as an interference in his country’s internal affairs after Tehran said it was ready to negotiate with France on a resolution that only the Lebanese army be deployed in the south of the country.

“We are surprised by this position, which constitutes a blatant interference in Lebanese affairs and an attempt to establish a rejected guardianship over Lebanon,” Mikati said in a post on X. He summoned the chargé d’affairs of the Iranian embassy in Beirut on Friday, according to a statement.

Sinwar Successor

Sinwar’s demise leaves Hamas with no clear successor. With the world bracing for Israel’s expected retaliation against Iran for a missile barrage on October 1, Netanyahu scored another coup after the assassination of Hamas political chief Ismail Haniyeh in July and Hezbollah’s leader Hassan Nasrallah last month.

One possibility to take over Hamas is Sinwar’s deputy, Khalil al-Hayya, who is based in the Qatari capital of Doha and has been leading indirect negotiations with Israel. Other Arab commentators speculated that Sinwar’s brother Mohammed, one of the top commanders of the Qassam Brigades, might be a contender.

The shekel rose on Friday, trading at the highest level since 26 September on a closing basis. The currency is heading for a second weekly advance against the US dollar as investors bet Israel’s gains against its adversaries would shorten the war. The options market also signalled calm returning, with one month of implied volatility on the currency heading for a second successive week of declines.

The Israel Defense Forces said soldiers identified a number of people who crossed from Jordan into Israeli territory south of the Dead Sea on Friday, and two of them opened fire on the troops. The shooters were killed, according to the IDF.

“Military operations need to end, and after this operation, a ceasefire must be accepted in Gaza,” French President Emmanuel Macron said. He offered implicit criticism of the US, the chief supplier of weapons to Israel’s army, even as the civilian death toll has risen.“Those who deliver arms to lead operations on Gaza have particular responsibility because one can’t call for a ceasefire and continue delivering arms that allow these excesses,” he said.

“For the Israelis all along, getting Sinwar was always going to be the key to being able to claim success,” said Dennis Ross, who served as the White House’s Middle East envoy under President Bill Clinton and is now a fellow at the Washington Institute for Near East Policy. “And so now there is a potential to do that.” DM

This article was updated at 4.35pm to include Hamas's statement