US Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Tuesday urged top Israeli officials to “capitalize” on the killing of Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar’s death in order to secure the release of the remaining hostages held in Gaza and bring the war there to a close – but there is little evidence that either of those aims are within close reach.

“Killing Sinwar is the result of a year of operational and intelligence efforts to bring him and other Hamas leaders to justice. Sinwar has been eliminated, but our mission is not over,” said Rear-Adml Daniel Hagari, an IDF spokesperson.

His rise was the culmination of decades of planning and outmanoeuvring of opponents, turning a movement into the Sinwar show. In prison in Israel, this violent and calculating man became more systematic in his thinking,