The elimination of Yahya Sinwar is a symbolic closing of a circle and an opportunity for an initiative that can move us from stagnation to strategic victory. Israel must lead the only possible deal: ending the war in Gaza in exchange for the return of all the hostages, both the living and the dead.
The overwhelming majority of the public sees the return of the hostages as the most important goal of the war, but this is not the only reason why the current momentum should be used to achieve it. Such a deal, with international involvement, would solidify the operational achievements in Gaza and Lebanon; provide an alternative to Hamas that is not Israeli rule in Gaza; and create a picture of Israeli victory, having struck all its enemies, versus the “resistance axis” that has taken severe blows. The opportunity must be seized immediately, to cement, for a change, the strategic achievement while the operational success is still fresh and relevant.