For months, frustrated American officials looking to end the war in Gaza have mused quietly about the one scenario they believed could loosen deadlocked ceasefire talks: the death of Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar, believed to be hiding deep underneath Gaza in the group’s network of tunnels.
Whether that is what transpires over the coming days remains an open question.
Despite all the unknowns, the moment was viewed inside the White House and across President Joe Biden’s administration as a momentous one.
Sinwar’s killing has the potential to transform a conflict that long ago became a drag on Biden’s political fortunes — and by extension Vice President Kamala Harris’s campaign.
Even with Sinwar’s death, there is virtually no expectation the wider Middle East conflict will be resolved before Election Day on November 5, particularly as Israel prepares to retaliate against Iran’s ballistic missile attack from earlier this month. For many voters, negative views of the conflict have hardened after a year of fighting. Yet any development that could allow for a lowering of the regional temperatures would be welcome, both inside the White House and at Harris’ campaign headquarters.