Hamas Leader’s Death Offers Israel A Feel - Good Moment But Changes Little

The opportunity to pull the Middle East back from the brink came and went within hours of Israel’s confirmation that it had killed Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar. Instead of capitalizing on Israel’s tactical success to declare victory in Gaza, push for a ceasefire that could also end hostilities in Lebanon, and negotiate a prisoner exchange that would secure the release of the 101 remaining Hamas-held hostages, Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu insisted the war would continue until the Israeli military liberated the captives. More than a year into Israel’s devastating assault on Gaza in response to last year’s Hamas brutal October 7 attack on Israel, Netanyahu’s problem is that he is pursuing two long-tested strategies that have failed to produce results.