Yahya Sinwar, the leader of Hamas, is dead. What now about the Gaza war?

Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar, mastermind of the October 7, 2023 attack on southern Israel that sparked a devastating war in the Gaza Strip, was killed by Israeli forces in the southern Gaza Strip, Israel said on Thursday.

The dramatic announcement raised the prospect of a turning point in the year-long conflict that has spread north into Lebanon.

There was shock in Gaza on Thursday afternoon as news spread of Mr. Sinwar plunging the besieged Strip into a war that has killed more than 40,000 people, including thousands of children, and the vast majority of the territory’s 2.2 million residents has driven out. Israel had described the Hamas leader as a “dead man” after the October 7 attack in which 1,200 people were slaughtered and 253 others were taken hostage in Israel.

Mr. Sinwar’s death heightened fears among some Palestinians in the Gaza Strip, who openly questioned how a ceasefire could be agreed with Israel when there are no longer any senior Hamas leaders to negotiate. Others celebrated in small crowds, believing his death would signal an immediate end to the war.

In Israel, the Forum for Hostages and Missing Families said it “welcomes the elimination of Yahya Sinwar, one of the biggest obstacles to a [cease-fire] But it added: “We call on the Israeli government, world leaders and mediator countries to transform the military achievement into a diplomatic one.”

Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar, mastermind of the October 7, 2023 attack on southern Israel that sparked a devastating war in the Gaza Strip, was killed by Israeli forces in the southern Gaza Strip, Israel said on Thursday.

The dramatic announcement raised the prospect of a turning point in the year-long conflict that has spread north into Lebanon.

As of Thursday evening, Hamas had neither confirmed nor denied the killing. Hamas officials could not be reached for comment.

There was shock in Gaza on Thursday afternoon as news spread of Mr. Sinwar’s possible death, plunging the besieged Strip into a war that has left more than 40,000 people dead, including thousands of children, and the vast majority of the 2.2 Displaced millions of residents of the area.

Israel had described Mr. Sinwar as a “dead man” after the October 7 attack in which 1,200 people were slaughtered and 253 others were taken hostage in Israel.

Mr. Sinwar’s posthumous legacy among Palestinians was significant and sparked controversy. Some saw him as a resistance fighter who fought to the last breath and brought the Palestinian cause back to the forefront of international attention; others saw him as a cause of destruction who failed to end the war he started.