Speaking from Tel Aviv Thursday, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu confirmed the Israeli Defense Forces eliminated Hamas leader and October 7 mastermind Yahya Sinwar in the Gaza Strip.
"Citizens of Israel: A year ago we celebrated Sukkot. At that exact time, Yahya Sinwar was engaged in final preparations for the Shevah massacre in October. I stand before you today to inform you that Yahya Sinwar - has been eliminated," Netanyahu said. "The person who committed the most terrible massacre in the history of our nation since the Holocaust, the mass murderer who murdered thousands of Israelis and kidnapped hundreds of our citizens, was eliminated today by our heroic soldiers. And today, as we promised to do, we came to account with him."
BREAKING:
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Netanyahu speaks after the killing of Yahya Sinwar.
He says it’s over for Hamas, that they will never rule again in Gaza and that it’s time for Hamas to give up. pic.twitter.com/aB8lCGNT2W
"Today evil has suffered a heavy blow, but the task before us is not yet complete. To the dear families of the abductees I say: this is an important moment in the war. We will continue with all our strength until the return home of all your loved ones, who are our loved ones. This is our highest commitment. This is my highest commitment," he continued. "And to the residents of Gaza I say: Sinwar ruined your life. He told you he was a lion, but in reality he was hiding in a dark den - and he was killed when he fled in a panic from our soldiers. His elimination is an important landmark in the decline of the evil rule of Hamas. I would like to say again, in the clearest way: Hamas will no longer rule Gaza. This is the beginning of the day after Hamas, and this is an opportunity for you, the residents of Gaza, to finally break free from its tyranny."
Netanyahu also gave remaining terrorists holding hostages an option: surrender and return the hostages or accept the same fate as Sinwar.
“To those holding our hostages I say: whoever lays down their weapons and returns our hostages – we will enable them to leave alive. At the same time I say: anyone who harms our hostages – their blood will be upon their own head. We will hold them to account," Netanyahu said.
President Joe Biden has also released a statement from Air Force One:
"Early this morning, Israeli authorities informed my national security team that a mission they conducted in Gaza likely killed Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar. DNA tests have now confirmed that Sinwar is dead. This is a good day for Israel, for the United States, and for the world.
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. He was the mastermind of the October 7th massacres, rapes, and kidnappings. It was on his orders that Hamas terrorists invaded Israel to intentionally – and with unspeakable savagery – kill and massacre civilians, a Holocaust survivor, children in front of their parents, and parents in front of their children.
Over 1,200 people were killed on that day, the deadliest day for Jews since the Holocaust, including 46 Americans. More than 250 were taken hostage, with 101 still missing. That number includes seven Americans, four of whom are believed to still be alive and held by Hamas terrorists. Sinwar is the man most responsible for this, and for so much of what followed.
Shortly after 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. Today, however, 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.
Israel has had every right to eliminate the leadership and military structure of Hamas. Hamas is no longer capable of carrying out another October 7.
I will be speaking soon with Prime Minister Netanyahu and other Israeli leaders to congratulate them, to discuss the pathway for bringing the hostages home to their families, and for ending this war once and for all, which has caused so much devastation to innocent people.
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."
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