Hamas remained defiant Friday, insisting that the assassination of its leader Yahya Sinwar will only make the terror group stronger — and will not force it into freeing the remaining Israeli hostages.
Senior Hamas leader Khalil al-Hayya confirmed in a video statement that Sinwar had been killed Wednesday — while vowing that it would only strengthen the group’s fight against “the occupiers,” according to a translation by the Times of Israel.
He also denied Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s demands for the remaining hostages — saying that the 101 still being held would only be freed under a full cease-fire and withdrawal of Israeli forces.
Netanyahu had earlier confirmed the death of the man behind the Oct. 7, 2023, incursion — in which around 1,200 people were randomly slaughtered — saying: “The mastermind of this day of sheer evil is no more.”
“To the people of Gaza, I have a simple message: This war can end tomorrow. It can end if Hamas lays down its arms and returns our hostages,” he said.
“We will continue with full force until all your loved ones — our loved ones — are returned home. That is our supreme obligation. That is my supreme obligation,” he told the families of the remaining hostages.
Netanyahu said that anyone in Gaza who was holding hostages would be allowed to live if they laid down their weapons and released the captives.
The families of the hostages issued their own statement urging Israel and its allies to “seize this opportunity” to return their loved ones to safety.
Sinwar was a major obstacle to previous attempts at a cease-fire and hostage deal, White House spokesperson John Kirby said.
His death created an “inflection point” that could pave the way for more productive talks, though those discussions are not underway yet, Kirby explained.
With Post wires
