Trump’s first reaction to the killing of Sinwar

Reactions to the killing of Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar on Thursday were mixed locally and internationally, and it had a mixed effect on the people of Gaza, who dream of ending the war and returning to their normal lives, as well as the families of the Israelites. hosts, who believe that what happened could help to recover their relatives who are in custody The group has been there since the attack on October 7.

The killing of Sinwar, the prominent Hamas leader and mastermind of the October 7 attack, represents a dramatic turning point in the year-long war in the Gaza Strip, and is also a powerful symbolic achievement for Israel in its battle to eliminate to the movement.

The operation, which comes just 10 days after the one-year anniversary of the bloodiest attacks in the decades-long conflict, could pave the way for how the war will continue. in the future, or even end, depending on the progress that both Israel and Hamas are making at this point.

A Gazan resident told Agence France-Presse after Sinwar’s killing, “They (the Israelis) said they wanted Sinwar to stop this war, and indeed, this is what happened, so what do they want more than this? “

A young Palestinian man said, “We are waiting for a moment when this will end, the war will end, and we will reach our normal life,” but he seemed sad, and he said, “Yes the reality on the ground shows just the opposite, because things continue and too much killing continues.”

With Sinwar at the top of the most wanted list, his killing is considered a major achievement for Israel, and analysts say his killing has given Israel, which has to struggle to devise an exit strategy from Gaza, to end the war.

With the “architect” of the October 7 attacks eliminated, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu can tell Israelis that one of the goals of the war has been achieved. Politically, this could allow him to be more flexible in a cease-fire agreement that ends the war in exchange for the release of the hostages, a position he has so far refused to accept because some say it could threaten “his rule.”

Analysts say this achievement was a turning point that is seen as an opportunity for Israel to express its willingness to end the fighting in the region in general, including Lebanon, where he is fighting Hezbollah.

Israeli officials are rejecting calls for a cease-fire and work to free the hostages, and Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich said the only deal now is “the complete surrender of what’s left of Hamas in the Gaza Strip.” , and release the remnants of Hamas. kidnapped people… Until then, military pressure must be increased.” “And eliminate more and more terrorists and leaders.”

For his part, Israel’s National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir said, “We must continue with all force until full victory is achieved.”

Netanyahu announced, Thursday-Friday night, that the killing of Sinwar represents the “beginning of the end” of the war that has been going on between the Israeli army and Hamas in the Gaza Strip for a year.

He said in a video message in English, “Yahya Al-Sinwar is dead. finally.”

The families of hostages in Gaza carried a similar message to Netanyahu. A group representing the families welcomed Sinwar’s killing, but while acknowledging the possibility, called on Israel to refocus efforts towards the deal. compromise.

Israeli media reports said Netanyahu will hold a special security meeting involving government ministers and security officials at the Defense Ministry headquarters in Tel Aviv on Friday, the day after Sinwar’s assassination.

The Times of Israel newspaper said that the meeting will focus on the possibility of making progress in the negotiations on a hostile agreement, due to the Sinwar murder.

Israeli officials praised the killing of the leader of the movement, which is classified as a terrorist in the United States and other countries, stressing that this provides an opportunity to work on the return of the detained guards in the Struggle.

Netanyahu, who had vowed to “eliminate” Hamas after the attack, considered Sinwar’s killing an “important milestone” in the movement’s decline, but “the war is not over yet.” “

“Today, evil has suffered a great blow,” he said, stressing that “its dissolution is an important step in the decline of the evil regime of Hamas.”

Families of traitors

The Hostage Families Forum called to take advantage of the “military achievement” of Sinwar’s killing to immediately conclude a deal that will bring back the abductees.

The forum considered him “responsible for killing thousands and kidnapping hundreds,” calling it “one of the major obstacles” to reaching an agreement, saying, ” We call on the Israeli government to seize this great achievement to secure it. ” the dispersal of the guards.

Avi Marciano, the father of Noah Marciano, who was detained by Hamas and killed in Gaza, told Israel’s Public Broadcasting Agency, “A year after I held Noah for the last time, the monster that took her from me, with his hands dyed. with the blood of all our daughters, finally reaching the gates of hell. .”

At a rally in Tel Aviv to support hostages and their families, a few hours after Israel announced that Sinwar had been killed, Cécile (60 years old), said that only the her first name, told Agence France-Presse that this represents “a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity… to (reach) a hostile treaty to end the war.”

For his part, Yoram (50 years old), a resident of Tel Aviv who gave only his first name, described this moment as “terrifying.”

“No one knows what will happen next,” he said, adding, “That’s why I came here to support the families.”

Of the 251 people kidnapped in the attack, 97 are still being held in Gaza, including 34 who the army says have died.

While Washington is making continuous efforts to stop the war that has been going on for more than a year in the Gaza Strip, three weeks before the US presidential elections, the President announced -said Joe Biden on Thursday that “it’s time to move on” towards. ceasefire between Israel and Hamas, congratulating Netanyahu on the dissolution of Sinwar.

He said he would send his Secretary of State, Anthony Blinken, to Israel within “four or five days” to put pressure on the Israeli authorities in this regard.

Months of negotiations with Qatar, Egypt and the United States failed to reach an agreement to release the hostages and stop the fighting, except for a truce of just one week agreed at late 2023, when there were several hosts. were released in exchange for Palestinian prisoners.

In this context, US State Department spokesman Matthew Miller said on Thursday that Washington would “redouble its work” to resume negotiations on a proposed ceasefire​​​​​​ if spread.

He explained that the administration of President Joe Biden worked in vain for several months with mediators from Qatar and Egypt to reach an agreement that would halt Israeli military operations in Gaza in exchange for the release of hostages which Hamas took in the attack. a little over a year ago.

Miller said that Sinwar completely refused to negotiate in the last few weeks.

He said, “It is clear that this barrier has been removed. I can’t expect that this means that whoever replaces him (Sinwar) will agree to a ceasefire, but (his killing) will take away what has been in the past months than A major barrier to arrival. ceasefire.” “fire.”

According to the newspaper “Haaretz“, Israeli officials at this stage are having trouble assessing the extent to which the killing of the Hamas leader will affect the fate of the guards in Gaza and any deal for their release.

In addition to the fear that Hamas will try to avenge the death of the leader by harming hostages, officials also hope that it will be possible to break the deadlock in negotiations on the hosting agreement and guidelines Hamas is moving towards a ceasefire agreement now that Sinwar is out of the picture, according to the newspaper.

One of the sources involved in the talks admitted to Haaretz, saying, “It’s too early to know how the killing will affect the deal.