Yahya Sinwar is dead, Harris calls for a ceasefire and global stability
Yahya Sinwar, the perceived architect of October 7th has been identified amongst the dead after getting raided by the Israeli Defence Forces (IDF) in Rafah in a building that was suspected of being used by senior Hamas leaders. Harris said that this should be the turning point that forces the militant group to the peace table for a ceasefire. Could this help ceasefire efforts and the reinforcement of regional stability in the Middle East? Are there any implications on the Presidential election scheduled to take place in a couple of weeks?
Sinwar: A short biography
Yahya Sinwar became the leader of Hamas in the Gaza Strip in the spring of 2017 after Ismail Haniyeh was elected as the head of the Hamas political bureau. As a politician, he established a Hamas-controlled administrative committee for Gaza only, which opposed the Palestinian Authority in Ramallah, the West Bank. He also was said to be committed to the eradication of the Israeli state as we know it. However, in the early fall, Sinwar agreed to dissolve the council after negotiations with Ramallah in Egypt.
More recently, Sinwar was regarded as the mastermind behind the Hamas attack on Israel on October 7th, which left about 1200 dead and 240 hostages in the Gaza Strip. Since then, he was always on the run from both the IDF who were trying to take him out, and the International Criminal Court (ICC) for crimes against humanity and war crimes. In June of 2024, in a story published by the Wall Street Journal, Sinwar in a conversation to Hamas leadership figures allegedly said that Palestinian civilian deaths were "necessary sacrifices” that would "infuse life into the veins of this nation” and that this would fuel Palestine's “rise to glory and honour".
After Haniyeh's assassination on July 31st, Hamas named Sinwar as the new overall leader of the militant organization in a "message of defiance to Israel". A huge shift toward a more extreme phase, Sinwar was reelected due to his popularity in the Islamic world after October 7th, especially from the Islamic Republic of Iran, who has been funding the organization since the early 90s with military aid in the form of training, and funding of weapons. Then, just last night, Sinwar was killed in a raid in Southern Gaza, to mixed reactions. Israeli Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, has said that Israel has exacted revenge on Sinwar but the war will still continue. Foreign Minister Israel Kantz has said that this is a huge win, both a military and moral win for the Israel Defence Force. However, the reaction from the United States is probably the most consequential, especially with the United States election, just a couple of weeks away.
Reaction from the United States
President Biden has congratulated Prime Minister Netanyahu on the assassination of Sinwar as even he knows how hardline and uncompromising Sinwar would be to ceasefire negotiations, especially as he was the mastermind to the attacks in the first place. Vice President Harris took this time to acknowledge the type of character Sinwar was, similar to President Biden. However, she did call for a ceasefire. Senate Majority Leader, Chuck Schumer has expressed relief that he has been eliminated as his actions have "caused so much pain to the Israeli and Palestinian people”.
Implications on the US election
This is a huge political victory for the Biden administration in the Middle East, with assassinations orchestrated by the IDF: first Haniyeh and now Sinwar. The Biden administration keeps on winning in the eyes of the American public - and this could power Harris to victory. With Harris also calling for a ceasefire, especially after such a win, this does not alienate some of her base who are not so thrilled about military advancements in the Middle East by the IDF, retaining support from them.
