The man dubbed by Israel a “dead man walking” is dead
Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar’s killing in Gaza is a major win for Israel following a year-long manhunt for the man believed to be the mastermind of the deadliest terror attack in the country’s history
And it could bring the devastating war in Gaza closer to an end, experts say – if Israel and its allies can seize the opportunity
Harel Chorev, senior researcher at the Moshe Dayan Center at Tel Aviv University, told CNN
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Sinwar’s death could be a fatal blow for Hamas because of the way Sinwar ran the group Before the war, power in Hamas was decentralized – with Gaza political chief Sinwar just one of many leaders
But that changed over the past year
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“Sinwar became the sole decision maker and of course, he grew stronger and stronger as Israel killed more and more important figures, such as (Hamas’ military chief) Mohammed Deif”
A year of pounding by Israel which has left swathes of Gaza flattened and killed more than 42,000 people, has left Hamas greatly weakened
Sinwar’s killing will create a major power vacuum – which Israel and its allies will no doubt aim to capitalize on It is unclear whether Sinwar left any instructions on what should happen in the event of his death
Several names have been floated as possible successors, including 1. Sinwar’s brother Mohammed, who is seen as another hardliner 2. and Khalil Al Hayya, chief negotiator for Hamas during ceasefire talks in Cairo
Neither has Sinwar’s public profile in Gaza
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Israel needs to take advantage of this situation and the major confusion that is probably spreading among the ranks of Hamas
