OPINION: Deradicalise Gaza or the next Sinwar will emerge from the rubble

Yahya Sinwar, the butcher of Khan Younis, is dead. The slaying of this vile tyrant is a welcome relief, not just for the millions of Israelis who remain traumatised by the events of October 7, but for those Palestinians who were forced to live under his rule. 

Sinwar was the key architect of ‘Black Saturday’. He was the chief planner and mastermind of this savage crime, hoping to entice Hezbollah and Iran to ignite a regional war that would engulf the Middle East and destroy Israel. For this reason, Israeli leaders declared him a ‘dead man walking’ and vowed he would be eliminated.

Sinwar admitted that he was prepared to sacrifice vast numbers of Palestinians to his demented cause, an unmistakable sign of the man’s cruelty and fanaticism. Thanks to his actions, thousands of Palestinian civilians lie dead and many areas of Gaza now lie in ruin. Those who wish to see an end to the war in Gaza should be relieved that its prime instigator has been killed.

The killing of Sinwar represents a timely riposte to the western leaders who were demanding that Israel halt its operation in Rafah, the place where Sinwar made his ‘last stand’. Back in March, Kamala Harris said that the US would not rule out ‘consequences’ if Israeli forces entered Rafah.

Keir Starmer said even more stringently that Rafah could not ‘become a new theatre of war’ while dire warnings were also made by French President Macron and the leaders of Canada and Australia. Israel chose not to heed their advice and demonstrated resolve instead, much to its credit.

Some may argue that the killing of Sinwar will make little difference, given that he will be replaced by another figure. It is true that there are several candidates, including Sinwar’s brother Mohammed and Khalil al-Hayya, deputy chairman of the Hamas political bureau.

But it is wrong to think that Sinwar’s death changes nothing. He was the charismatic face of the movement, the uncompromising figure around whom the various hostage negotiations were focused. He was also a key figure in building relations between Hamas and Iran and his death is a grievous blow to the ayatollah regime.

A new Hamas leader, perhaps one less beholden to Tehran, may be more inclined to pragmatism and the release of hostages than was Sinwar. This could be aided by Israel’s wise decision to offer an amnesty to those in Gaza who are holding those hostages. But if a new military leader continues the jihadist war against Israel, his political tenure will be short lived, as the successors to Hassan Nasrallah found to their cost.

Some argue that Sinwar’s death marks the end of the war. This may be premature, given that Hamas still has fighters on the ground, albeit with a highly degraded capability to attack Israel. The IDF will need to continue launching military operations against the remnants of the Hamas forces while keeping control of strategic points in Gaza, such as the Netzarim corridor and the buffer zone around the enclave.

A long-term political solution requires an alternative security force to be brought into the area, ready to replace Hamas as the governing administration. This Palestinian force can be supported by friendly Arab nations, such as the UAE and Bahrain, both key allies of the US and Israel.

Right now, the most likely candidate for a successor Palestinian regime is the PA,(Palestinian Authority) a deeply compromised and corrupt administration which has little credibility in the West Bank. The PA has form in rejecting Israeli peace offers, such as those negotiated at Camp David in 2000 and Taba in 2001. It has been guilty of inciting hatred against Israelis and Jews, venerating murderers in their state media and seeking to delegitimise the Jewish state in international forums.

Western leaders must insist on deradicalisation as a key to long term peace building and stability. If they do not, they may very well set the stage for the next Sinwar to emerge from the rubble.

• Jeremy Havardi is a freelance journalist and author