Canberra | Israel’s killing of top Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar threatens to act as a catalyst for continued Middle East conflict after Lebanese militant group Hezbollah announced it would escalate its campaign against the Jewish state, while Iran was also defiant.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the chance death of the architect of the October 7 terror attacks had “settled the score”. But he vowed to continue the war with Hamas until the remaining 101 Jewish hostages held in Gaza were released.