Bowen: Sinwar's death is serious blow to Hamas, but not the end of the war

Killing Yahya Sinwar is Israel's biggest triumph truthful acold successful nan warfare against Hamas successful Gaza.

His decease is simply a superior rustle for Hamas, nan organisation he turned into a fighting unit that inflicted nan biggest conclusion connected nan authorities of Israel successful its history.

He was not killed successful a planned typical forces operation, but successful a chance brushwood pinch Israeli forces successful Rafah successful confederate Gaza.

A photograph taken astatine nan segment shows Sinwar, dressed successful combat gear, lying dormant successful nan rubble of a building that was deed by a vessel shell.

Benjamin Netanyahu, Israel's premier minister, praised nan soldiers and made clear that nevertheless large a victory, it was not nan extremity of nan war.

"Today we made clear erstwhile again what happens to those who harm us. Today we erstwhile again showed nan world nan triumph of bully complete evil.

"But nan war, my beloved ones, is not complete yet. It is difficult, and it is costing america dearly."

"Great challenges still dishonesty up of us. We request endurance, unity, courage, and steadfastness. Together we will fight, and pinch God's thief - together we will win."

Netanyahu and nan overwhelming proportionality of Israelis who support nan warfare successful Gaza needed a victory.

The premier curate has repeated his warfare intends galore times - destroying Hamas arsenic a subject and governmental unit and bringing nan hostages home.

Neither has been achieved, contempt a twelvemonth of warfare that has killed astatine slightest 42,000 Palestinians and near overmuch of Gaza successful ruins.

But nan remaining hostages are not free and Hamas is fighting and sometimes sidesplitting Israeli troops.

Killing Sinwar was nan triumph Israel wanted. But until Netanyahu tin declare that nan different warfare intends person been accomplished, nan war, arsenic he says, will spell on.

Yahya Sinwar was calved successful 1962 successful a exile campy successful Khan Younis successful nan Gaza Strip. He was 5 years aged erstwhile it was captured by Israel from Egypt successful nan 1967 Middle East war.

His family were among much than 700,000 Palestinians who fled aliases were expelled from their homes by Israeli forces successful nan 1948 warfare successful which Israel won its independence.

His family came from nan municipality now known arsenic Ashkelon, which is adjacent to nan bluish separator of nan Gaza Strip.

In his 20s, he was convicted by Israel of sidesplitting 4 Palestinian informers. During 22 years successful jailhouse he learnt Hebrew, studied his force and believed that he worked retired really to conflict them. His clip successful jailhouse besides meant Israel had his dental records and a sample of his DNA, which meant that they could place his body.

Sinwar was released arsenic 1 of much than 1,000 Palestinian prisoners who were swapped successful 2011 for a azygous Israel soldier, Gilad Shalit.

On 7 October past year, successful a meticulously planned bid of attacks, Sinwar and his men inflicted Israel's worst-ever conclusion - and a corporate trauma that is still profoundly felt.

The sidesplitting of astir 1,200 Israelis, nan hostage-taking and nan celebrations of their enemies recalled for galore Israelis nan Nazi holocaust.

Sinwar's ain acquisition successful a captive switch must person convinced him of nan worth and powerfulness of taking hostages.

In Tel Aviv families of nan remaining 101 hostages successful Gaza - Israel says half of them mightiness already beryllium dormant - gathered successful nan quadrate successful which they person been gathering for a year, urging nan Israeli authorities to motorboat a caller speech to get their group home.

Einav Zangauker, mother of hostage Matan Zangauker appealed to nan premier minister.

"Netanyahu, don't hide nan hostages. Go retired now to nan mediators and to nan nationalist and laic retired a caller Israeli initiative."

"For my Matan and nan remainder of nan hostages successful nan tunnels, clip has tally out. You person nan triumph pictures. Now bring a deal!"

"If Netanyahu doesn't usage this infinitesimal and doesn't get up now to laic retired a caller Israeli inaugural - moreover astatine nan disbursal of ending nan warfare - it intends he has decided to wantonness nan hostages successful an effort to prolong nan warfare and fortify his rulership.

"We will not springiness up until everyone returns."

Many Israelis judge that Netanyahu wants to prolong nan warfare successful Gaza to put disconnected nan time of reckoning for his stock of nan information failures that allowed Sinwar and his men to break into Israel, and to postpone possibly indefinitely nan resumption of his proceedings connected superior corruption charges.

He denies those accusations, insisting that only what he calls 'total victory' successful Gaza complete Hamas will reconstruct Israeli security.

Like different news organisations, Israel does not fto nan BBC transverse into Gaza isolated from connected rare, supervised trips pinch nan army.

In nan ruins of Khan Yunis, nan birthplace of Sinwar, Palestinians interviewed for nan BBC by section trusted freelancers were defiant. They said nan warfare would spell on.

"This warfare is not limited connected Sinwar, Haniyeh, aliases Mishal, nor connected immoderate leader aliases official," said Dr Ramadan Faris.

"It's a warfare of extermination against nan Palestinian people, arsenic we each cognize and understand. The rumor is overmuch bigger than Sinwar aliases anyone else."

Adnan Ashour said immoderate group were saddened, and others were indifferent astir Sinwar.

"They're not conscionable aft us. They want nan full Middle East. They're fighting successful Lebanon, Syria, and Yemen... This is simply a warfare betwixt america and nan Jews since 1919, complete 100 years."

He was asked whether nan decease of Sinwar would impact Hamas.

"I dream not, God willing. Let maine explain: Hamas is not conscionable Sinwar... It's nan origin of a people."

The warfare goes connected successful Gaza. Twenty 5 Palestinians were killed successful a ambush connected bluish Gaza. Israel said it deed a Hamas bid centre. Doctors astatine nan section infirmary said nan scores of wounded that they treated were civilians.

Parachute drops of assistance resumed aft nan Americans said Israel had to let successful much nutrient and alleviation supplies.

Every leader of Hamas since nan 1990s barroom 1 has been killed by Israel, but there's ever been a successor. As Israel celebrates sidesplitting Sinwar, Hamas still has its hostages and is still fighting.