Decision Points Podcast S5 E14: Hostages, Post-Sinwar Succession, and Thwarting a Hamas Revival

On October 16, an IDF infantry unit killed Yahya al-Sinwar, the architect of last year’s Hamas attack on Israel. A central goal of the war effort, his death marks a significant turning point for Hamas leadership, hostage negotiations, and Palestinian society. In this episode, host David Makovsky is joined by experts Ghaith al-Omari and Michael Milshtein, who explore the implications of this high-profile death on Hamas internal politics, regional power dynamics, and Israel’s next steps in the conflict. Omari is the Gilbert Foundation Senior Fellow at The Washington Institute, former executive director of the American Task Force on Palestine, and a former advisor to the Palestinian Authority. Milshtein is head of the Palestinian Studies Forum at Tel Aviv University and former advisor on Palestinian affairs for IDF Military Intelligence.