White House says Sinwar was chief obstacle to hostage deal, but no new talks yet

Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar was the chief obstacle to securing a ceasefire in the Gaza conflict and his killing by Israel’s defense force creates an “inflection point” that could accelerate talks to wind down the war, White House spokesperson John Kirby says.

Sinwar was the architect of the Hamas’s Oct. 7, 2023, massacre that triggered the Gaza war. His killing marks a huge success for Israel and a pivotal event in the yearlong conflict.

“We believe, continue to believe, that finding an end to the war is critical, and we also believe that Mr. Sinwar’s death … can provide an inflection point to getting there,” Kirby says.

Kirby says ceasefire talks are not underway and he had no timetable for them to begin again.

“I wish I could tell you today that we’re getting the teams back together in Doha, and we’re starting afresh,” Kirby says. “That’s not where we are right now.”