Thursday 12 / December / 2024
Washington DC: Following the elimination of Hamas chief Yahya Sinwar by Israeli defence forces, US Vice President Kamala Harris on Friday said "justice has been served," and the threat Hamas poses to Israel must be eliminated.
Harris, who is the Demoratic candidate for US presidential elections next month, said the world is "better off as a result" and hoped that the families of the victims would feel relief.
"Today, Israel confirmed that Yahya Sinwar, the leader of Hamas is dead, and justice has been served. The United States, Israel, and the entire world are better off as a result... He had American blood on his hands. Today, I can only hope that the families of the victims of Hamas feel a sense and measure of relief," Harris said.
Calling Sinwar as the mastermind of October 7 attacks on Israel last year, Harris mentioned the collaboration of US and Israel to track the Hamas leaders.
"Sinwar was the mastermind of October 7, the deadliest day for the Jewish people since the Holocaust... In the past year, American special operations and intelligence personnel have worked closely with their Israeli counterparts to locate and track Sinwar and other Hamas leaders, I commend their work," Harris said.
She further asserted that Israel has a right to defend itself.
"I will say to any terrorist who kills Americans, threatens the American people, or threatens our troops or our interests, know this - we will always bring you to justice. Israel has a right to defend itself, and the threat Hamas poses to Israel must be eliminated," Harris said.
Harris emphasised on the significance of Sinwar elimination as it present an opportunity to end war in Gaza.
"Hamas is decimated and its leadership is eliminated. This moment gives us an opportunity to finally end the war in Gaza, and it must end such that Israel is secure, the hostages are released, the suffering in Gaza ends, and the Palestinian people can realize their right to dignity, security, freedom, and self-determination," Harris said.
Earlier, Israel's Minister of Foreign Affairs, Israel Katz, confirming the elimination of Sinwar by Israel defence forces, said that this development open the door for immediate release of hostages.
"The arch-terrorist Yahya Sinwar, responsible for the massacre and atrocities of October 7th, was eliminated today by IDF soldiers. This is a major military and moral achievement for Israel and a victory for the entire free world against the axis of radical Islam led by Iran. Sinwar's elimination opens the door for the immediate release of the hostages and paves the way for the end of Hamas' rule and a new reality in Gaza. Israel now expects the backing and support of the free world to advance these critical objectives together," Katz wrote on Social Media X.
Earlier, US President Joe Biden also hailed the elimination of Hamas chief, saying it is a "good day" for Israel and for the world. The US President said the killing of the mastermind of the Hamas attack on Israel "proves once again that no terrorists anywhere in the world can escape justice, no matter how long it takes".
"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," Biden said.
Israel has confirmed the elimination of Yahya Sinwar, the mastermind behind the October 7 attacks last yearThe conflict in Gaza reignited after Hamas attacked Israel on October 7, 2023.
About 2,500 terrorists breached the border into Israel from the Gaza Strip, killing more than 1200 people, including citizens of more than 30 countries, and also taken over 250 people as hostages.
Following the October 7 attack, Israel launched a counter-offensive against Hamas, vowing to eliminate the entire terror group while making efforts to minimize civilian casualties.
