10/17/2024–|Last updated: 10/17/202410:30 PM (Mecca time)
US President Joe Biden said on Thursday that the opportunity is now ripe for what he called the “next day” in the Gaza Strip without the Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas) controlling power after the killing of the movement’s leader, Yahya Sinwar, and his deputy Kamala Harris supported his words, while the US State Department expressed its hope With a new leader of the movement who chooses a different path.
Commenting on the Israeli army’s announcement of the killing of Sinwar yesterday, Wednesday, in the southern Gaza Strip, Biden stated that Hamas is no longer able to carry out another attack like the attack of October 7, 2023.
He confirmed that he would speak with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to discuss ending the war and returning Israeli detainees.
He added that the killing of Sinwar represents a good day for Israel, the United States, and the world, as he put it.
For her part, Kamala Harris, US Vice President and Democratic candidate for the upcoming elections, supported Biden, saying that “the time has come for the next day in Gaza without Hamas rule.”
Harris stressed that the killing of Sinwar provides the opportunity to end the war in Gaza, noting that the Gaza war led to instability in the region.
She renewed American support for Israel’s right to defend itself, adding that “Hamas is being eliminated, and its leaders have been eliminated,” as she described it.
“different path”
For his part, US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken said that his country stands with Israel to hold accountable those responsible for the attack on October 7, 2023 and to ensure that it is not repeated at all, stressing the redoubling of efforts in the coming days to end the war.
The US State Department said that it hopes that any new leader of Hamas will look at the extent of the suffering a year ago and choose a different path, and indicated that what Washington wants is for the Palestinians in Gaza to be able to rebuild their homes away from the war and from the grip of Hamas, as it put it.
She confirmed that Blinken today held contacts with his counterparts and US partners in the region to end the war.
The US Department of Defense (Pentagon) also said that Minister Lloyd Austin spoke with his Israeli counterpart Yoav Gallant to discuss the killing of Sinwar and reaffirmed Washington’s support for Israel’s right to defend itself.
She added, “The killing of Sinwar represents a major achievement for efforts to combat terrorism,” according to her claim.
She added that reaching the end of the war in Gaza will enhance the chances of a diplomatic solution to the conflict on the Israeli-Lebanese border.
Opportunities for agreement
For his part, US National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan claimed that Sinwar was a major obstacle to reaching an exchange and ceasefire agreement, adding that “his killing represents an opportunity to find a way to reach an agreement.”
He claimed that Sinwar was seeking to fuel chaos instead of reaching a ceasefire agreement.
He stressed that the United States will continue to work with Israel, Qatar, and Egypt to reach an exchange agreement.
CNN quoted American officials as saying that the killing of Sinwar represented an important moment for Netanyahu to announce what they called “victory in Gaza” and to revive ceasefire talks.
An American official told CNN that the American administration does not know whether the killing of Sinwar might accelerate the ceasefire or whether the road is long, especially since the ongoing military conflict between Hezbollah and Israel may complicate any possible opportunity to end the war.
There has not yet been any statement or confirmation from Hamas regarding the Israeli army’s announcement of the killing of Sinwar.
Israel considers Sinwar its most wanted man, as it accuses him of responsibility for the Al-Aqsa flood operation on October 7, 2023, which led to the killing of about 1,200 Israeli soldiers and settlers.
