The State Department claims that Sinwar's withdrawal from the battlefield is "significant" and offers a chance for a cease-fire.
The State Department on Thursday said the killing of Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar presents an "opportunity" for a potential cease-fire and an end to the yearlong war.

The State Department stated on Thursday that there was a "opportunity" for a potential cease-fire and an end to the year-long conflict following the death of Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar by Israeli forces.
Until Sinwar's passing, according to State Department spokesman Matthew Miller, "there has been no path to ending this war because Sinwar has refused to talk about releasing the hostages."
"Now that he has been removed from the battlefield and the Hamas leadership, we see an opening. We wanted to take advantage of that chance," Miller remarked.
Sinwar was a chief architect of the Oct. 7, 2023, massacre in which Hamas militants stormed into Israel, killing nearly 1,200 people and kidnapping 250 others in an attack that stunned the country. As of October 2024, Hamas militants are still holding around 100 hostages.
Israeli forces hailed Sinwar’s death as a major victory, but Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu vowed that his country will keep fighting until all hostages are free. He said Israeli forces will control Gaza long enough to ensure that Hamas does not rearm.
It’s not clear who will succeed Sinwar. While his death is a crippling blow to Hamas, the group has proven resilient to past losses of its leaders.
"One thing we do know for certain is that the world is a better place with Sinwar gone from it, and it gives us an opportunity that we didn't have as long as he still called the shots for Hamas," Miller said. "Now what that will mean, we'll have to wait and see in the days ahead."
In the 12 months of fighting, Israeli forces have killed more than 42,000 Palestinians and destroyed much of the Gaza Strip. The figures come from the Hamas-run Gaza Health Ministry, which does not distinguish between civilians and combatants but says half of those who were killed were women and children.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.