Biden calls Sinwar's death a 'good day', 'opportunity' for talks

Washington, Oct 18 (IANS) US President Joe Biden called the killing of Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar a "good day" for Israel, comparing the relief felt in that country to that felt in the US after the killing of Osama bin Laden in 2011. He also said Sinwar's death presented an "opportunity" for a political settlement between Israel and Palestine.

“This is a good day for Israel, for the United States, and for the world,” Biden 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.”

Appealing for an end to hostilities, Biden added: “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.”

The Hamas leader is said to have masterminded the October 7 terrorist attack on Israel in which more than 1,200 people were killed on that day, including 46 Americans. Over 250 were taken hostage, with 101 still missing.

He was killed by the Israeli army in Gaza.

“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 said.

Biden went on to detail the defence and security assistance his government provided to the Israelis in the aftermath of 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. 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,” he said.