Yahya Sinwar’s killing will strengthen “the spirit of resistance”, Iran has said, while Hezbollah vowed to move to an “escalating phase” in its war against Israel.
The Hamas leader, 62, was killed by Israeli troops in southern Gaza on Wednesday, the Israel Defence Forces (IDF) said. The Israeli military also released drone footage which it said showed his final moments.
His death marks a key moment in the year-long war triggered by Hamas’s attack on Israel on 7 October 2023. Militants killed some 1,200 people in Israel and kidnapped 250 others.
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The US and other Western countries said the death of the man considered the mastermind of the attack offered an opportunity for a ceasefire.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said “this is the start of the day after Hamas” – but added the war would go on until the hostages were returned.
“Today we have settled the score,” Mr Netanyahu said.
“Today evil has been dealt a blow but our task has still not been completed.”
“To the dear hostage families, I say: This is an important moment in the war. We will continue full force until all your loved ones, our loved ones, are home.”
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Israel has destroyed much of the Hamas-run Gaza Strip and killed more than 42,000 Palestinians, according to local health authorities.
But the conflict with Hamas has engulfed the broader region to involve Iran, which supports Hamas, and Lebanon, home to the Hezbollah group.
There has been no sign from Iran of a shift in its support after Sinwar’s killing.
“The spirit of resistance will be strengthened”, its mission to the UN said.
Hezbollah, a proscribed group in the UK and US, also remained defiant, announcing “the transition to a new and escalating phase in the confrontation with Israel”.
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IDF shares video of Sinwar final moments
‘Chief obstacle’ removed
Joe Biden, who spoke to Mr Netanyahu by phone to congratulate him, said Sinwar’s death was a “good day for Israel, for the United States, and for the world,” comparing it to the feeling in the US after the killing of al Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden.
The US president said Sinwar’s death provided a chance for a “pathway” to bring Israeli hostages home and end the conflict.
State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller called Sinwar the “chief obstacle” to ending the war.
“That obstacle has obviously been removed. Can’t predict that that means whoever replaces (Sinwar) will agree to a ceasefire, but it does remove what has been in recent months the chief obstacle to getting one,” he said.
The US wants to kick-start talks on a proposal to achieve the ceasefire and secure the release of hostages, Mr Miller added.
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The US state secretary, Antony Blinken, held separate phone calls on Thursday with leaders in Saudi Arabia and Qatar.
He might travel to the region in coming days, according to news reports, in an effort to broker a ceasefire.