Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has hailed the death of Hamas leader Yehya al-Sinwar as a major milestone, describing it as a sign of “the decline of Hamas’ rule of evil” in the Gaza Strip.
Netanyahu addressed residents of the coastal strip in a video message on Thursday evening, saying Sinwar had destroyed their lives.
He claimed that al-Sinwar, who portrayed himself as a lion, actually hid in a dark cave and was eliminated while fleeing from Israeli soldiers.
Netanyahu reiterated that the Palestinian Islamist organization Hamas would no longer rule the Gaza Strip. He described this as “the beginning of the post-Hamas day” and an opportunity for Gaza Strip residents to free themselves from the militia’s oppressive rule.
In his address to the kidnappers in the Gaza Strip, the Israeli Prime Minister stated that those who lay down their arms and return the hostages would be given the opportunity to “come out and survive.” However, he warned that they would “settled scores” with anyone who harmed the hostages.
Hamas and other organizations in the Gaza Strip killed more than 1,200 people in Israel and abducted another 250 people to the Gaza Strip on October 7, 2023. The fate of the approximately 100 hostages still in Hamas custody remains uncertain.
Netanyahu claimed that the hostages’ return would bring an end to the Gaza war closer. He added that it was also an opportunity for the peoples of the region to “stop the axis of evil (led by Iran) and bring about a different future.”
He referred to a possible “future of peace and prosperity across the region.”
