Dr. (Lt. Col.) Shaul Bartal’s opinion piece discusses the role of Yahya Sinwar, the Hamas leader closely associated with the group’s October 7, 2023 assault on Israel, in which approximately 1,200 Israelis were killed and 250 taken hostage. Sinwar, who was later killed by Israel on October 17, 2024, symbolized Hamas’s aggressive stance and its alignment with Iran’s objectives. Bartal highlights that Hamas’s primary motive for initiating the October 7 attacks was to disrupt potential normalization between Israel and Saudi Arabia, a goal aligned with Iranian interests. It outlines the grim toll the war has taken on Gaza, with tens of thousands of Palestinian casualties and growing disillusionment among Gaza’s population with Hamas’s leadership and strategies.

Dr. (Lt. Col.) Shaul Bartal also explores the ideological justifications Hamas offers for its actions, portraying them as resistance against Israel’s existence and Western influence. Despite the heavy losses in Gaza, Hamas leadership continues to frame the conflict as a “divine victory.” With Sinwar gone, the group faces a crossroads: to pursue a settlement that could bring peace to Gaza, or to continue the conflict, serving Iranian interests at the expense of Palestinian lives.

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