BERLIN/MILWAUKEE: US President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris said on Thursday (Oct 17) that the death of Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar set the stage for the return of Israeli hostages and an end to the war in Gaza.
The killing of Sinwar, a mastermind of the Oct 7, 2023, attack that triggered the Gaza war by Israeli forces in the Palestinian enclave marks a major success for Israel and a milestone in the yearlong conflict.
“Now’s the time to move on. Move on, move towards a ceasefire in Gaza, make sure that we are moving in a direction that we’re going to be able to make things better for the whole world,” Biden told reporters after landing in Germany, following a phone conversation with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in the wake of Sinwar’s killing in the Gaza strip.
“It’s time for this war to end and bring these hostages home. So that’s what we’re ready to do.”
Asked if he felt more hopeful about a ceasefire, Biden said he did, and said the war would end “hopefully very soon”.
Biden said he was sending his top diplomat, Antony Blinken, to Israel in four or five days and that talks would include post-war arrangements for Gaza.
“We’re going to work out … what is the day after now. How do we secure Gaza and move on,” he said.
After months of starts and stops, ceasefire negotiations have not succeeded and have shown no signs of movement in weeks.
With Sinwar, whom US officials say was the main stumbling block to talks, out of the way, Washington will “redouble” efforts to push forward a ceasefire proposal, the State Department said.
But Netanyahu, who at times also has been accused of stalling on a deal, on Thursday said the war would go on. A statement from his office, after he spoke to Biden, said the two leaders agreed that Sinwar’s death has created an opportunity to push for the release of hostages in Gaza and that they would work together to achieve that goal.
A White House readout of the call said they “discussed how to use this moment to bring the hostages home and to bring the war to a close with Israel’s security assured and Hamas never again able to control Gaza.”
Speaking on the sidelines of campaign events for her 2024 presidential campaign in Milwaukee, Harris reinforced the point.
“This moment gives us an opportunity to finally end the war in Gaza,” Harris said.
