Friday Briefing: The leader of Hamas is dead

What the death of Yahya Sinwar means for the war.

View in browser|nytimes.com October 18, 2024 By Natasha Frost Good morning. We're covering the killing of Hamas's leader and Donald Trump's scattershot campaigning style. Plus: Who is the real Hugh Grant? Yahya Sinwar, the Palestinian leader of Hamas in the Gaza Strip, at a rally in 2021. Majdi Fathi/NurPhoto, via Getty Images The leader of Hamas is dead Yahya Sinwar, the powerful and elusive militant leader of Hamas who helped to plot the group's devastating assault on Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, was killed in battle on Wednesday, the Israeli military said. A unit of trainee squad commanders unexpectedly encountered him in southern Gaza, Israeli defense officials confirmed yesterday. After a firefight in Gaza with Hamas forces, Israeli soldiers retrieved a body that was later confirmed to be Sinwar's via DNA, dental records and fingerprints. Sinwar had been in hiding in Gaza for the last year, but was believed to be closely overseeing Hamas military operations. There was no immediate response from Hamas. Read the latest updates. A route toward some kind of truce in Gaza now seems slightly more navigable after Sinwar's death, since it gives both Israel and Hamas a pretext to soften their stances, Patrick Kingsley, our Jerusalem bureau chief, writes in this analysis. But major obstacles remain, and any solution in Gaza will have only a limited effect on the broader regional conflict. In Israel: Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu celebrated Sinwar's death, but he stopped short of declaring total victory in Israel's war against Hamas. "Today, evil took a heavy blow — the mission ahead of us is still unfinished," he said. The White House: President Biden congratulated Netanyahu, saying he would speak to him about "the pathway for bringing the hostages home to their families, and for ending this war once and for all." Antony Blinken, the U.S. secretary of state, is set to travel to Israel in the coming days. Related: Sinwar, who was in his early 60s, was known among supporters and enemies alike for combining cunning and brutality. Read our obituary. Here's what we know about Hamas's remaining leadership. For the families and supporters of Israeli hostages remaining in Gaza, Sinwar's killing brought both satisfaction and deep trepidation for the fate of the captives. Donald Trump has described his digressive approach to public speaking as "the weave." Jamie Kelter Davis for The New York Times Trump's meandering approach to the stump speech In the final weeks of the 2024 election campaign, some advisers and allies of Donald Trump fear that his impetuousness and scattershot style on the trail needlessly risk victory in battleground states, where the margin for error is increasingly narrow. At a time when his Democratic opponent, Vice President Kamala Harris, has stepped up her attacks on him as "unstable," Trump has struggled to publicly hone his message, veering off script and ramping up personal attacks on Harris that allies have urged him to rein in. Analysis: "When he's good, he's great, and when he's off message, he's not so great," said David Urban, a Trump adviser. "I don't think anyone is really changing their mind at this point, but when he distracts from his biggest, broadest messaging, it's counterproductive." More on the U.S. election Americans head to the polls in less than three weeks. How accurate are this year's polls likely to be? Our experts examined three decades of polling to put recent big misses into context. This is what they learned. Top Democrats including Harris have lost their onetime reluctance to call Trump a fascist, as an interview with the vice president this week made clear. How to win the electoral college: Explore possible outcomes in the battleground states to see how Harris or Trump could reach 270 electoral votes and the White House. A review of the attempted assassination of Trump called on the Secret Service to replace its leadership with people from the private sector. Do you have questions about the election? Send them to us, and we'll find the answers. Volodymyr Zelensky, president of Ukraine, at the European Council Summit in Brussels. Olivier Hoslet/EPA, via Shutterstock Zelensky tries to sell his 'victory plan' Volodymyr Zelensky, the Ukrainian president, told European leaders in Brussels that his country desperately needed their support for his plan to end the war. It is unclear how much Ukraine's allies will embrace the plan. Later, Zelensky made the case for Ukraine's accession into NATO, a key point in his proposals. "You all know Russia's psychology," Zelensky said. "Russia will resort to diplomacy only when it sees that it cannot achieve anything by force." Related: Pentagon officials worry that the flow of weapons to Ukraine and Israel could be hurting the U.S. military's ability to respond to a new conflict. MORE TOP NEWS Tolga Akmen/Agence France-Presse — Getty Images Britain: A bill introduced in the House of Commons this week could legalize assisted dying for the terminally ill, under strict conditions. It is set to be debated formally next month. Italy: New policies on surrogacy and asylum seekers, while largely symbolic, are designed to shore up Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni's right-wing flank at home, analysts say. Nigeria: Many of those who died when an overturned fuel tanker exploded had been driven by poverty to try to collect the spilled gas before the blast, witnesses said. India: More than two dozen doctors are on a hunger strike, one of many protests set off by the rape and killing of a medical resident. Germany: President Biden will meet with the leaders of Germany, France and Britain in Berlin today to discuss strategy for the war in Ukraine. Europe: The European Central Bank cut interest rates for the third time in about four months, as growth has been sluggish. Egypt: President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi replaced the country's intelligence chief, who had played a leading role in talks between Israel and Hamas. Moldova: Officials are accusing Russia of waging a disinformation campaign in favor of a "no" vote in Sunday's referendum on E.U. membership. China: The country's economy continued to grow at a lackluster pace over the summer, amid falling prices, weak consumer spending and a housing market crash. What Else is Happening Pop music: Fans and collaborators of the One Direction star Liam Payne, who died this week in Argentina, shared their shock and grief. Here's what we know. Science: Meet Caenorhabditis elegans — C. elegans for short — the lowly soil worm with an outsize role in scientific discovery. China: The megastar Fan Bingbing returns to the screen with "Green Night," six years after her fall from grace over a tax scandal. Peru: Archaeologists have excavated a chamber from ancient Moche culture that bears clues suggesting a woman ruled there more than 1,300 years ago. SPORTS NEWS Baseball: Shohei Ohtani hit a home run in his second consecutive game to help the Los Angeles Dodgers take a three-games-to-one lead over the New York Mets in the National League Championship Series. Tennis: Iga Swiatek hired Wim Fissette as her new coach after splitting with Tomasz Wiktorowski. Triathlon: Two athletes at a World Triathlon Championship Series event died in Spain yesterday. MORNING READ Atul Loke for The New York Times Some of the worst abuses in Bangladesh's recent past have come to light since Sheikh Hasina, its autocratic prime minister, fled the country. Among them is an underground military detention center where political captives were pushed to the edge of insanity and death — often for years on end. Here are their stories. Find the main takeaways from our investigation here. Lives lived: Mitzi Gaynor, the American actress who played the sparky female lead in "South Pacific," but whose film career came to an end with that of movie musicals, died yesterday at 93. CONVERSATION STARTERS Florence, Lorna, Jonathan, Theaster: T Magazine celebrated four talents across music, art and fashion who, through patience and perseverance, have transformed the culture. Fifth Avenue: Can a $350 million plan transform New York's renowned avenue into a grand boulevard? From royal gowns to Uniqlo: The designer of Meghan Markle's wedding dress is taking on a new challenge — and a different kind of luxury. Worth the splurge? The latest version of the Oura Ring, which is $350, may be useful for data-hungry health enthusiasts, but it failed this sleep-deprived parent. ARTS AND IDEAS Dana Scruggs for The New York Times Hugh Grant's 'freak-show era' Who is the real Hugh Grant? Breezy British bluster and rom-com charm ("Mr. Stuttery Blinky," to use his phrase), or something altogether more complex? Since the 1994 film "Four Weddings and a Funeral," Grant's name has been virtually synonymous with the quintessential British rom-com hero. But at 64, he is enjoying what he calls "the freak-show era" of his career, playing a rogue's gallery of suave miscreants, seedy gangsters, power-hungry tricksters and even an Oompa-Loompa. In his most recent role, Grant plays a charismatically articulate villain in the religious-horror movie "Heretic." Speaking to our reporter on a walk through Central Park, he compared himself to the character: "The ability to manipulate and sort of seduce — I might be guilty of that." Read our profile. RECOMMENDATIONS Vegan Chocolate Cupcakes Christopher Testani for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Simon Andrews. Cook: Readers give our delicious vegan chocolate cupcake recipe five stars. Watch: The exhilarating Palme d'Or-winning film "Anora" blends slapstick, romance, comedy and tragedy, our critic writes. Appreciate: This season, one standout art show celebrates devotional Italian art from the 14th century. Travel: These six vacations aim to make you happier and healthier. Read: Our critic recommends three psychological thrillers that will make you squirm. Play the Spelling Bee. And here are today's Mini Crossword and Wordle. You can find all our puzzles here. That's it for today's briefing. Have a great weekend. — Natasha Reach Natasha and the team at briefing@nytimes.com. Need help? Review our newsletter help page or contact us for assistance. You received this email because you signed up for Morning Briefing: Europe Edition from The New York Times. 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