Israel and Hamas have given short shrift to Western leaders’ suggestions that the killing of the militant group’s leader Yahya Sinwar this month presents an “opportunity” to end the brutal war in Gaza.
In a joint statement following a meeting in Berlin on October 18, two days after Sinwar’s death, US President Joe Biden, his French counterpart Emmanuel Macron, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, and German Chancellor Olaf Scholtz called for an immediate cessation of hostilities.
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken urged Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to “capitalise on” Sinwar’s demise when they met in Jerusalem on Tuesday, advocating for the release of the 101 hostages still believed to be held by Hamas and a resolution to the conflict that ensures “lasting security for Israelis and Palestinians alike”.
But Middle East experts argue that the elimination of Sinwar has not altered the underlying reasons for the war, which has persisted for over a year – dismissing Western proposals as “wishful thinking”.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has vowed to continue military operations in Gaza with “full force”. Photo: Getty Images via AFP
The day after Sinwar’s death at the hands of Israeli forces, Netanyahu addressed the families of Israeli hostages, vowing to continue military operations in Gaza with “full force until the return home of all your loved ones, who are our loved ones, too”.