יהושע, פרק י׳, פסוק כ״ח

The killing of the five kings in the cave was just one step in a much wider military effort. Joshua's timing in attacking the city of Makkedah was carefully planned. As long as he believed the five kings were alive and hiding in the cave outside the city, he held back from attacking Makkedah to avoid fighting a war on two fronts. Only after the threat of the kings was completely removed did he turn his attention to capturing the city [מלבי״ם].

With the kings eliminated, the Israelite high command gathered at Makkedah and focused on destroying the local leadership and the city itself [ביאור שטיינזלץ]. The local king faced a different fate compared to other defeated rulers. Unlike the king of Ai and the five kings who were captured alive and hanged afterward, the king of Makkedah was killed immediately during the battle. He fell alongside the rest of the city's casualties, meeting an end much like that of the king of Jericho [רד״ק].

This specific conquest was part of a rapid, continuous military drive. The Israelites pushed forward without any break, capturing one city after another in quick succession, until the nation finally returned to their camp at Gilgal [רלב״ג].