President Joe Biden said the killing of Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar is a “good day for Israel” and the U.S., likening the Gaza chief’s death to the killing of Osama bin Laden in 2011.
“Early this morning, Israeli authorities informed my national security team that a mission they conducted in Gaza likely killed Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar,” Biden said in an official White House statement released Thursday. “DNA tests have now confirmed that Sinwar is dead. This is a good day for Israel, for the United States, and for the world … 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.”
“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,” Biden added, reflecting on those who have been murdered on the Gaza strip since the initial attack on Oct. 7. “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.”
He 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.”
Biden’s remarks come after news that Israel Defense Forces killed Sinwar, Hamas’ top commander in Gaza, in a building raid.
Sinwar was one of three people killed during IDF operations in Gaza this week, Israeli Channel 12 and Kann News both reported Thursday. The IDF said there were “no signs of the presence of hostages in the area,” and speculated that one of the targets may have been Sinwar.
During IDF operations in Gaza, 3 terrorists were eliminated. The IDF and ISA are checking the possibility that one of the terrorists was Yahya Sinwar. At this stage, the identity of the terrorists cannot be confirmed.
— Israel Defense Forces (@IDF) October 17, 2024
In the building where the terrorists were eliminated, there…
Biden continued in his statement, highlighting the step-by-step moves he made to help track down Sinwar’s whereabouts. The news channel Kan 11 reported that Sinwar was found with cash and several passports on his body. The death occurred during a regular military operation by an infantry unit in Rafah, and was not planned in advance by special forces.
“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,” Biden explained. “With our intelligence help, the IDF relentlessly pursued Hamas’s leaders, flushing them out of their hiding places and forcing them on the run.”
He concluded by saying that “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,” Biden said in closing. “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.”
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