Photo: Memorials to the Oct. 7 victims at the Nova music festival site (Ethan Roberts/JCRC)

Oct. 17, 2024

Today’s elimination of Yahya Sinwar, the mastermind of the October 7th atrocities and undisputed leader of Hamas, should make clear that Hamas lost and it is long past time for the international community to pressure Hamas into accepting reality and ending this war which it started when it broke the ceasefire in place on October 6, 2023. As has been the case since October 7th the war in Gaza can end – and with it the misery which Israelis and Palestinians are experiencing – as soon as Hamas releases the 101 hostages and surrenders.  

Contrary to Sinwar’s grand fantasy that this war would result in the destruction of Israel, the last year has instead brought the destruction of Hamas as an organized army and devastation on both sides of the internationally recognized border between Israel and Gaza. 

No leader was more responsible than Sinwar for the murder, torture, rapes, and kidnapping of Israelis on October 7, 2023 – and the prolonged suffering every day since. The Hamas leader also cynically anticipated, facilitated, and welcomed the deaths of innocent Palestinian civilians and the massive destruction inside Gaza. Sinwar is principally responsible for their deaths and the ongoing misery of the people of Gaza. As aptly noted by Ambassador Dennis Ross, Sinwar ‘treated his own people, the Palestinians of Gaza, as if they were all ready to be martyrs—only he never asked them if they wanted to be martyrs.’  

Recognized as a terrorist by the United States government since 2015, Sinwar has the blood of not just Israelis and Palestinians on his hands, but also that of citizens of over 30 nations, including 46 Americans, who were slaughtered on October 7th and in the agonizing days since. The citizens of these countries, including the United States, all owe the brave men and women of the Israeli Defense Forces our gratitude for achieving this important measure of justice today. 

Now that Sinwar is dead, the international community — in particular, Hamas’ allies in Iran, Lebanon, Turkey, and Qatar – must level with the remnant of Hamas’ leadership and demand that they release the 101 hostages and surrender.  

The people of Israel and Gaza both deserve to live in peace and security. However, there can be no true peace and no real security so long as Hamas is allowed to survive and fight another day. Moreover, it is difficult to conceive of Gaza being rebuilt so long as Hamas, which is hated on both sides of the border, is allowed to remain in power. 

Additionally, despite Sinwar’s hope that the devastating war he meticulously planned would upend the peace made between Israel and its Arab neighbors, these relationships held. We recognize Egypt; Jordan and the UAE for their steadfastness including joining the coalition of nations defending Israel from Iran’s ballistic missile and drone attacks in April and this month. With Sinwar’s death there is renewed reason to be optimistic that formal recognition between Israel and more of its neighbors may yet be established as part of a comprehensive agreement. 

Relatedly, Hamas’ ally Hezbollah, which launched its own unprovoked attack on Israel on October 8, 2023, has also suffered significant blows including the elimination of its leader Hassan Nasrallah, much of its top leadership, and possibly half of its capacity to fire rockets down on Israeli communities.  

It is long past time for the international community to pressure Hezbollah and its patrons in Iran to abide by the terms of United Nations Security Council Resolution 1701 which ended the 2006 Israel-Lebanon War and required that Hezbollah not be allowed to remain within close proximity of the internationally recognized border between Israel and Lebanon. This is the only sustainable way for the over 60,000 Israelis displaced by Hezbollah terrorism to return to their homes within Israel’s sovereign borders. 

As was the case with the elimination of Nasrallah, and the scores of senior Hezbollah and Hamas leaders also killed by Israel over the past year, the death of Sinwar is yet another blow to Iran and it’s so called ‘Axis of Resistance.’ Conversely, the elimination of the ‘butcher of Khan Younis,’ is an opportunity for everyone in the Middle East and beyond who longs to move beyond the endless wars orchestrated by Tehran. 

As Jews, our traditions instruct us not to rejoice in the death of our enemies, even one as uniquely evil and ruthless as Sinwar.  Any yet after such a terrible year for Israelis, Gazans, and those who care about them around the world, we cannot help but feel a sense of relief and hope that the elimination of Sinwar may bring this war to an end, the release of the 101 hostages, and enhance the possibility of achieving a political solution so that the people of Israel and Gaza can finally be able to rebuild their lives in peace and security.