The Biden administration responded optimistically to Israel’s killing of Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar in Rafah on 17 October.
The White House immediately hailed his death as an “opportunity for a ‘day after’ in Gaza without Hamas in power” because Sinwar was an “insurmountable obstacle” to any political settlement in the enclave.
However, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu unsurprisingly vowed to continue Israel’s military campaign in Gaza. “The war, my dear ones, is not yet over,” he told Israelis on the day of Sinwar’s killing. “We have before us a great opportunity to stop the axis of evil.”
Israel’s leadership is now ever more confident in its war strategies and will continue waging death and destruction in Gaza.
Having ignored President Joe Biden’s ‘red line’ on Rafah only to invade the city in southern Gaza earlier this year, Netanyahu’s government feels vindicated given that this is where the Israelis killed the Hamas leader last week. …more
