US statement on Yahya Sinwar: His death is an opportunity for a ceasefire

Following Israel's announcement that it killed Hamas's new Political Bureau Chief Yahya Sinwarin the Gaza Strip,statements were made by the US, Iran, and Hezbollah.

While Hamas has not yet confirmed the death of its leader, US President Joe Biden made remarks on the matter to members of the press upon disembarking from his plane in Berlin, the capital he visited for his trip to Germany. The US President noted that he called Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to congratulate him and stated that it is now time to look forward.

According to AA, "It is time for this war to end and for the hostages to be brought home. This is what we are ready to do," said Biden, emphasizing that steps must be taken to achieve a ceasefire in Gaza. The US President, who announced that Secretary of State Antony Blinken would travel to Israel in a few days to discuss the latest situation with his counterparts, signaled that they want to enter a concrete process regarding a ceasefire.

US: AN OPPORTUNITY TO ACHIEVE A CEASEFIRE

US State Department Spokesperson Matthew Miller also evaluated his predictions for the region to journalists during his daily press briefing on Thursday, October 17, following the Israeli military's announcement that it had killed Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar.

Spokesperson Miller argued that Hamas still poses a threat to Israel and that Israel has the right to address this threat; however, he added that they view the killing of Sinwar as an opportunity to 'end the conflict and achieve a ceasefire.'

Stating that the US-backed ceasefire proposal has been on the table since May and that the potential for progress on this proposal has increased with the killing of Sinwar, Miller said, "We are determined to seize this opportunity" he added. Spokesperson Miller stated that the Israelis will need to make 'difficult decisions' to reach an agreement to end the war.

Stating that Israel still has a very legitimate strategic goal, Miller said, "And that is the return of all hostages, and we have a very real interest in that goal. Because 7 of those 101 hostages are Americans, and we want them to return" he said. When reminded that Hamas had accepted the ceasefire proposal presented by mediators, Miller said that the Hamas leadership had not accepted part of the US proposal and had 'returned with a counter-offer'.

IRAN: THE SPIRIT OF RESISTANCE WILL STRENGTHEN

Making a statement on the matter via its social media account, Iran's United Nations The (UN) Mission stated that Sinwar's death would 'strengthen the spirit of resistance.' In the statement, which referenced the late Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein being 'pulled from a hole in the ground by US forces and begging them not to kill him despite being armed,' it was said, "Those who saw Saddam as a model of resistance eventually collapsed. However, when Muslims look at the martyr Sinwar, who stood on the battlefield—in combat attire, not hiding, but facing the enemy in the open—the spirit of resistance will be strengthened."

The Iranian Mission, which also said that Sinwar 'will be a role model for the youth and children who will follow him on the path to the liberation of Palestine,' added, "As long as occupation and aggression exist, the resistance will endure because the martyr remains alive and continues to be a source of inspiration." 

HEZBOLLAH: WE ANNOUNCE A TRANSITION TO A NEW AND ESCALATING PHASE

Following the announcement of Sinwar's death, a statement was also issued by the Iran-backed Hezbollah in Lebanon, where Israel continues its attacks. The statement noted that precision-guided missiles were used against Israeli forces for the first time. In its statement, Hezbollah declared that 'a new and escalating phase in the conflict with the Israeli enemy has begun, and this will manifest itself in the developments and events of the coming days.'

Although Hezbollah's statement came after the announcement of Yahya Sinwar's death, the Hamas leader was not mentioned in the text. The statement, which noted that 'hundreds of fighters are fully prepared' to resist Israeli ground attacks in the villages of southern Lebanon, also indicated that rocket attacks would escalate day by day.

NYT: ISRAELI FORCES WERE NOT EXPECTING TO ENCOUNTER SINWAR

On the other hand, the US-based The New York Times The New York Times (NYT), citing Israeli officials, reported that Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar was 'the main target of Israel's operations in Gaza, but the soldiers who killed him did not expect to encounter him.' 

According to the report, a clash broke out while Israeli soldiers were on a 'routine patrol' in the southern Gaza Strip, and Israeli soldiers, supported by an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV), partially destroyed the building where 'a number of militants were hiding.' Later, the lifeless body of the person said to be Sinwar was found among the rubble of the building. Israeli officials announced that Sinwar was killed above ground, along with two other Hamas members. 

The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) later released footage taken by a drone inside the building where the person they identified as Sinwar was located. In the images, which were also shared on X by IDF spokesperson Nadav Shoshani, the person, whose arm was severely injured, was seen sitting in an armchair with part of his face covered by a cloth. The person, noticing the drone approaching him, then threw a stick he was holding toward it.