| Every day that the war in Gaza continues, civilians face death and contend with catastrophic conditions. Just yesterday, reports emerged of an Israeli airstrike that killed at least 28 people sheltering in a school in Gaza City. The attack comes amid accusations Israel is attempting to forcibly expel the remaining population in a renewed ground campaign in the north of the territory. Earlier this week, widely shared footage showed Shaban al-Dalou, a teenage Palestinian, who was attached to an IV drip burning to death in a blaze caused by an Israeli strike on a hospital in Gaza. Sinwar’s death will renew hopes for a ceasefire, but there seems to be little appetite in Israel’s government for the war to end. Benny Gantz, an opposition politician, said Israel’s military “will continue to operate in the Gaza Strip for years to come”. Who was Yahya Sinwar? The elusive leader of Hamas managed to evade death for the last year, hiding mostly in tunnels in Gaza, despite being the Israeli military’s number one target since the 7 October attacks. Sinwar was born in a refugee camp in Khan Younis in 1962. His family had been forced to flee and became refugees in 1948 during what Palestinians call the Nakba (catastrophe). Sinwar became an Islamist activist and joined Hamas in the 1980s when it first formed. He was arrested not long afterwards and given four life sentences for attempted murder and sabotage. Sinwar spent 22 years in Israeli jails, where he learned Hebrew and read Israeli news. After he was released in a prisoner swap in 2011, he married, had children and returned to Hamas. For more detail on the life and aims of Sinwar, read Jason Burke’s comprehensive profile of the Hamas leader. What’s next for Hamas? Yahya Sinwar’s younger brother, Mohammed, is believed to still be alive and highly influential – and a natural successor. Another candidate is Khalil al-Hayya, the deputy leader of Hamas in Gaza, who has been one of the lead negotiators during ceasefire talks in Qatar. The third potential option is Khaled Mashal, a former political head of Hamas. Regardless of who will succeed Sinwar, Hamas will be in disarray. The casualties sustained among its fighters and the gutting of its leadership mean it will not be easy to recover for the militant group. What does this mean for a ceasefire? Comparing the assassination to that of Osama bin Laden, the US president, Joe Biden, said Sinwar’s death was a “good day” for the world. Biden and the vice-president, Kamala Harris, added that Israel must use the moment of his killing to negotiate the return of remaining hostages and end the war in Gaza “once and for all”. The leaders of Britain, France and Germany – Keir Starmer, Emmanuel Macron and Olaf Scholz – all have publicly urged to Israel to work towards a ceasefire. Iran on the other hand said the killing would strengthen the “spirit of resistance” and Sinwar would be seen as “a model for the youth and children who will carry forward his path toward the liberation of Palestine”. Hezbollah responded by announcing “the transition to a new and escalating phase in the confrontation with Israel”. There is growing pressure inside Israel to ensure the safe return of the hostages – on Thursday hundreds gathered in Tel Aviv to call for their release – and such pressure is likely to grow in the coming days. While Sinwar’s death removes a significant hurdle for ceasefire negotiations, it does not necessarily mean an end to the violence. “Even if Israel did decide to declare victory in Gaza with the death of Sinwar – something that analysts have long predicted – it may not mean the dawning of the ‘day after’,” Jason Burke writes in his analysis. “Israeli officials have made clear their military control and operations will continue in Gaza for as long as they deem them necessary, and no one has yet come up with a new political set-up in Gaza that might be acceptable to all parties.” Netanyahu’s political position is only further fortified by Sinwar’s death, continuing a turnaround after a year of chronic unpopularity. Recently the prime minister was already riding a political boost after the assassinations of Hassan Nasrallah, Hezbollah’s leader, and Ismail Haniyeh, Hamas’s political chief (this explainer lays out the senior Hamas leaders and other militants who have been killed since the beginning of the war in Gaza). It is of course too soon to be sure of the full consequences of this moment in the war – but it will probably mark a shift in this bloody conflict. For the latest news on the crisis in the Middle East, follow the Guardian’s live blog. | 