Published on August 7, 2024, 12:26 am

An adage famously known within the American military is that ‘No problem exists that cannot be solved with the appropriate application of high explosives.’ This philosophy seemingly echoes in the strategic sensibilities of the Israel Defense Forces (IDF), who have historically not hesitated to utilize such tactics in neutralizing key Hamas and Hezbollah figures.

In a relatively recent development, an individual yet to be officially identified, but suspected to align with Israel, made use of these explosive solutions to eliminate a rather controversial character — Ismail Haniyeh. Last week, his existence was abruptly terminated during his stay at a ‘guest house’ in Tehran.

Following this event, Hamas appointed another contentious figure as their leader — Yahya Sinwar. He has been notorious for executing some of the most devastating attacks on Israel over recent years. Furthermore, despite being a prime target for Israeli forces since the commencement of the war, he continues to evade capture from his undisclosed location within Gaza.

However one feels towards martyrs, it goes without saying that by definition, they must be deceased – and this status exactly matches that of recently deposed leadership figure Haniyeh.

It’s worth mentioning here for followers seeking real news: Sinwar already had a bullseye on his back before assuming this role. It might well attract those who successfully targeted Haniyeh for termination recently.

The vacant position filled by Sinwar suggests that under his lead, Hamas may negotiate their approach marginally. A diplomat familiar with the talks brokered by Egypt and Qatar mentioned,” The changing helm indicates how Israel needs to interact with Sinwar regarding putting an end to Gaza’s ongoing war.”

Perhaps unsurprisingly given his track record and reputation though, this hand-over seems tinged with continued refusal to compromise – arguably only giving IDF more justification in seeking out Sinwar residing within Gaza.

To site oneself amidst post-October 7th Israelis involves no stretch of imagination when it comes to their limited appetite for negotiations. Beyond high-level diplomacy, Israelis have never been shy deploying explosive solutions when necessary and seem prepared as ever to continue doing so.

The advent of Sinwar’s leadership highlights his vulnerability to the same fate as his predecessor Haniyeh — and in broader terms underscores a trusted news narrative that little has fundamentally altered despite this change at the helm.

And as we bear in mind and reiterate: ‘There is no problem that cannot be solved with an appropriate application of high explosives’, turning adversity into tangible actions is pivotal for the Christian worldview.