The neutralization of the leader of Hamas, Yahya Sinwar, mastermind of the October 7 attack on Israel, is, without a doubt, a pivotal victory for Tel-Aviv, Reuters notes in its related article, pointing out that the day after the death of Sinwar, implies, according to sources close to the government environment, a series of strategic pursuits for Netanyahu.

These aspirations should be achieved before the US elections, as Israel plans to “lock in” strategic gains, beyond military victories, to reshape the regional landscape in the country’s favor by shielding its borders from any future attacks.

As the US elections approach, Israel is rushing to inflict the greatest possible blows and consequent weakening of Hamas in Gaza and Hezbollah in Lebanon by taking advantage of the circumstances to carve out de facto buffer zones in an attempt to create an irreversible reality before taking over tasks the new US leadership.

By stepping up its military operations against Hezbollah and Hamas, Israel wants to ensure that its enemies and their main patron, Iran, do not regroup to threaten Israeli citizens again, according to Western diplomats, Lebanese, Israeli officials and other regional sources.

“Time Credit”

US President Joe Biden is expected to use the neutralization of Sinwar as “leverage” on Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to end the war in Gaza.

However, the Israeli leader may try to use up all the time until the end of Biden’s term to try a renegotiation with the next president, whether it will be the Democratic candidate, -currently- Vice President Kamala Harris, or it will be Donald Trump’s Republican opponent, with whom Netanyahu had close ties.

Before any ceasefire agreement is contemplated, Israel in particular is accelerating its military campaign to push Hezbollah away from its northern border, while pushing into the densely populated Jabaliya refugee camp in Gaza, a move that both the Palestinians and the agencies of the UN fear it could be an attempt to cut off northern Gaza from the rest of the region

It is also planning a response to Iran’s October 1 barrage of ballistic missile attacks, the second deadliest attack on Israel in six months.

New geopolitical landscape

“There is a new geopolitical landscape in the region,” said David Schenker, a former US undersecretary of state for Near Eastern affairs who is now a senior fellow at the Washington Institute think tank.

Before the October 7, 2023, attack by Hamas, Israel was “willing to tolerate a high-level threat,” responding to rockets by Palestinians and other enemies with limited strikes, Shenker said, noting that this no longer exists as a condition. .

“This time Israel is fighting on many fronts. It’s Hamas, Hezbollah and soon Iran,” he summarized.

Hamas killed about 1,200 people and took more than 250 hostages during the offensive in southern Israel, according to Israeli estimates.

Israel’s subsequent offensive has killed more than 42,000 Palestinians in Gaza, according to health authorities in the enclave.

Netanyahu’s position

Besides, in a speech delivered yesterday by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, speaking of the neutralization of Sinwar, he summarized that this is an important moment in the ongoing war.

“We have a great opportunity to stop the axis of evil, led by Iran, and create a different future,” he stressed, adding: “A future of peace, a future of prosperity for the entire region.”

“The actions of the IDF have demonstrated the wisdom of its military campaign in Gaza. Now it is clear to everyone, in Israel and the world, why we insisted that the war not end, why we persisted in the face of all pressure to enter Rafah, the Hamas stronghold where Sinwar and many of the killers hid,” said his prime minister Israel.

“This is an important moment in the war. We will continue to work with all our might to bring home all your loved ones, who are our loved ones. This is our highest commitment. This is my highest commitment,” Netanyahu said to the hostages’ relatives.

Netanyahu sent a message to Hamas members, saying “your leaders are leaving and they will be wiped out.”

And he pointed out: “Whoever harms our hostages – his blood on his own head. We will settle the score with him. The return of our hostages is an opportunity to achieve all our goals and brings the end of the war closer.”

Hagari subscribes

On the “same wavelength”, the spokesman of the Israeli army, Vice-Admiral Daniel Hagari, moved with his statements, underlining that the elimination of Sinwar marked a “great achievement” in the efforts to destroy the military apparatus of Hamas, but there are even other commanders in Gaza.

Israeli forces have inflicted other major blows on their enemies.

A series of large-scale attacks eliminated senior military leaders, including Hamas’s political chief Ismail Haniyeh, its military wing chief Mohammed Deif, Hezbollah leader Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah and its top military commander, Fouad Shoukr.

Israel also claims to have eliminated thousands of the groups’ fighters, seized tunnel networks and destroyed them.

But Israel’s ambitions are bigger than short-term military victories, important as they are, the sources who spoke to Reuters said.