Following the elimination of Hamas chief Yahya Sinwar by Israeli defense forces, the United States announced on Friday that it will “redouble its effort” to end the Gaza conflict now that the “chief obstacle to cease-fire” has been removed.
US State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller emphasized that Sinwar had not only refused to “return the hostages” but also rejected the “cease-fire proposal” put forward by the United Nations Security Council. Miller stated, “Over the days ahead, the US will redouble its efforts to return the hostages home, bring an end to this war, alleviate the suffering of the Palestinian people, and allow the people of Gaza to begin to relive their lives.”
He added, “The chief obstacle to reaching a cease-fire was Sinwar, who said no time and time again. That obstacle has been removed. Can’t predict that whoever replaces him will agree to a cease-fire, but it does remove the chief obstacle to achieving one. We will continue to work with our partners.”
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The US State Department described Yahya Sinwar as a “brutal, vicious terrorist” responsible for the October 7 attack on Israel. Miller stated, “Yahya Sinwar was a brutal, vicious terrorist responsible for the deaths of US citizens, Israeli citizens, and civilians from more than 30 countries. His decision, it was very much his decision, to launch the terrorist attack of October 7, which unleashed a year of tragedy in the Middle East—1,200 people murdered, 254 hostages kidnapped and held in Gaza, including infants, the elderly, and people of all ages. More than 40,000 people have died in Gaza, most of them civilians. That is the blood-soaked legacy that Yahya Sinwar leaves behind.”
Miller also stressed that Sinwar had consistently refused to endorse the “cease-fire proposal” by the United Nations Security Council. “He didn’t just launch the conflict but, over the past years, refused the efforts of the US and our partners to end it. He refused to return the hostages and refused to agree to the cease-fire proposal endorsed by the United Nations Security Council. In recent weeks, he even refused to negotiate at all on a cease-fire,” Miller added.
Earlier, US President Joe Biden praised the elimination of Sinwar, calling it a “good day” for both Israel and the world. Biden remarked, “The killing of the mastermind of the Hamas attack on Israel proves once again that no terrorists anywhere in the world can escape justice, no matter how long it takes.”
He further said, “To my Israeli friends, this is no doubt a day of relief and reminiscence, similar to the scenes witnessed throughout the United States after President Obama ordered the raid to kill Osama Bin Laden in 2011.”
Israel has confirmed the elimination of Yahya Sinwar, who is considered the mastermind behind the October 7 attacks last year.
The conflict in Gaza reignited after Hamas launched a surprise attack on Israel on October 7, 2023. Around 2,500 terrorists breached Israel’s border from the Gaza Strip, killing over 1,200 people, including citizens from more than 30 countries, and taking over 250 hostages. In response, Israel launched a counter-offensive against Hamas, pledging to eliminate the entire group while making efforts to minimize civilian casualties.
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