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Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has stated that Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar was an “enemy of peace-loving people everywhere”, following Sinwar’s death in Gaza this week.
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Sinwar, the political and military leader of Hamas as well as the reported mastermind of the militant group’s 7 October attack on Israel, was killed by Israel Defense Forces in southern Gaza on 16 October.
The Hamas leader was reportedly discovered by an Israeli FPV drone during a search of a residential house located in the Rafah neighbourhood of Tel al-Sultan. An IDF tank then reportedly fired on the building, killing Sinwar.
“Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar was a terrorist and the architect of the atrocities committed on October 7,” a statement published by the Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said following the news of Sinwar’s death.
“He was an enemy of the Israeli people and an enemy of peace-loving people everywhere. His death is a significant moment and can be a vital turning point in this devastating conflict.
“Australia joins with the international community in renewing our call for the return of the hostages, urgent humanitarian support for civilians in Gaza and a ceasefire that will break the cycle of violence and put the region on the path to an enduring two-state solution.”
The Israel Security Agency and IDF have confirmed the Hamas leader was killed by IDF soldiers from the Southern Command’s 828th Brigade on 16 October.
“Yahya Sinwar planned and executed the October 7th Massacre, promoted his murderous ideology both before and during the war, and was responsible for the murder and abduction of many Israelis," said a published statement.
“Yahya Sinwar was eliminated after hiding for the past year behind the civilian population of Gaza, both above and below ground in Hamas tunnels in the Gaza Strip.
“The dozens of operations carried out by the IDF and the ISA over the last year, and in recent weeks in the area where he was eliminated, restricted Yahya Sinwar’s operational movement as he was pursued by the forces and led to his elimination.”
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has confirmed that military actions in Gaza, including attempts to return hostages taken by Hamas will continue.
Officials from the United States of America have hailed the elimination by Israeli forces as a major achievement in counterterrorism.
“Sinwar’s death will not heal the wounds of the October 7th atrocities that he plotted, or the many deaths for which he is responsible, but I hope that it may bring some small measure of justice and solace to the families and the loved ones of the many victims of Sinwar’s premeditated cruelty,” US Secretary of Defense Lloyd J Austin III said in a statement on 17 October.
“Sinwar was the architect of the vile terrorist assault on Israel on October 7, 2023, in which 1,200 Israelis were murdered and 251 people were taken hostage. Hamas terrorists slaughtered civilians from more than 30 countries – including the United States. Sinwar and Hamas were responsible for the deaths of many Americans over the years, including the more than 40 Americans slain on October 7th and the murdered American hostages Itay Chen, Gad Haggai, Judy Weinstein Haggai, and Hersh Goldberg Polin.
“The death of Sinwar affords us all a major opportunity for progress toward the brighter future that both Israelis and Palestinians and the entire region deserve – and that Sinwar deliberately blocked.
“Our top and most urgent priority is to secure the release of each and every hostage, including our own American citizens. The hostages should not have to suffer for another hour in the clutches of Hamas and other terrorists. Those who are holding them should release them now.
“Sinwar’s death also provides an extraordinary opportunity to achieve a lasting ceasefire, end this terrible war, allow Israelis to return safely to their homes in southern Israel, rush in far more humanitarian assistance to ease the misery in Gaza, and bring relief and hope to the Palestinians who have endured so much under Hamas’ oppressive rule.
“The United States fully supports Israel’s right to defend itself against Hamas and other terrorist groups. At President Biden’s direction, our forces in the Middle East stand ready to defend Israel, deter aggression, and reduce the risk of all-out war in the region. We will continue to work tirelessly to bring the hostages home to their families, to promote diplomacy as the principal mechanism for ending the conflicts in both Gaza and Lebanon, and to secure a more hopeful, secure, and peaceful period in a region that has known such sorrow.”
