Published 07:09 IST, October 18th 2024
'Good Day for World, Can Help End Gaza War': Biden, Harris on Hamas Leader Yahya Sinwar's Killing
In a tweet on X, Biden said, "Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar is dead. This is a good day for Israel, for the United States, and for the world."
Washington: President Joe Biden on Thursday said the killing of Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar "is a good day for Israel, the US and the world." He further added that this incident will also help to "end the Gaza war."
In a tweet on X, Biden said, "Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar is dead. This is a good day for Israel, for the United States, and for the world."
White House Release Statement
Furthermore, the White House released a statement from the US President. Here's what the statement read, "Early this morning, Israeli authorities informed my national security team that a mission they conducted in Gaza likely killed Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar. DNA tests have now confirmed that Sinwar is dead. This is a good day for Israel, for the United States, and for the world."
"As the leader of the terrorist group Hamas, Sinwar was responsible for the deaths of thousands of Israelis, Palestinians, Americans, and citizens from over 30 countries. He was the mastermind of the October 7th massacres, rapes, and kidnappings. It was on his orders that Hamas terrorists invaded Israel to intentionally – and with unspeakable savagery – kill and massacre civilians, a Holocaust survivor, children in front of their parents, and parents in front of their children," it continued.
"Over 1,200 people were killed on that day, the deadliest day for Jews since the Holocaust, including 46 Americans. More than 250 were taken hostage, with 101 still missing. That number includes seven Americans, four of whom are believed to still be alive and held by Hamas terrorists. Sinwar is the man most responsible for this, and for so much of what followed. Shortly after the October 7 massacres, I directed Special Operations personnel and our intelligence professionals to work side-by-side with their Israeli counterparts to help locate and track Sinwar and other Hamas leaders hiding in Gaza," the statement added.
With our intelligence help, the IDF relentlessly pursued Hamas’s leaders, flushing them out of their hiding places and forcing them onto the run. There has rarely been a military campaign like this, with Hamas leaders living and moving through hundreds of miles of tunnels, organized in multiple stories underground, determined to protect themselves with no care for the civilians suffering above ground. Today, however, proves once again that no terrorists anywhere in the world can escape justice, no matter how long it takes.
"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 had every right to eliminate the leadership and military structure of Hamas. Hamas is no longer capable of carrying out another October 7. I will be speaking soon with Prime Minister Netanyahu and other Israeli leaders to congratulate them, to discuss the pathway for bringing the hostages home to their families, and for ending this war once and for all, which has caused so much devastation to innocent people. There is now the opportunity for a “day after” in Gaza without Hamas in power, and for a political settlement that provides a better future for Israelis and Palestinians alike. Yahya Sinwar was an insurmountable obstacle to achieving all of those goals. That obstacle no longer exists. But much work remains before us," it concluded.
VP Kamala Harris on Sinwar's Killing
Democratic presidential nominee and vice president Kamala Harris said the killing of Hamas' top leader, Yahya Sinwar, by Israel "gives us an opportunity to finally end the war in Gaza."
Speaking from a Wisconsin college campus during her campaign, Harris said the war "must end such that Israel is secure, the hostages are released, the suffering in Gaza ends and the Palestinian people can realise their right to dignity, security, freedom and self-determination."
"It is time for the day after to begin," she added.
Sinwar was a chief architect of Hamas' Oct 7, 2023, attack on southern Israel that precipitated the war and escalated conflicts across the Middle East.
(Inputs from AP)
Updated 07:09 IST, October 18th 2024