After Killing Hamas’ Top Leader In Gaza, Netanyahu Said The War Is "Not Over Yet"
“Today, evil has suffered a heavy blow, but the task before us is not yet complete,” Netanyahu said.
Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu has asserted that the war in Gaza is not over, just hours after it confirmed that it had killed Hamas' top leader, Yahya Sinwar, in Gaza.
On Thursday, Oct. 17, Israeli foreign minister Israel Katz was the first to publicly confirm that Sinwar was one of the militants killed in a firefight with Israeli forces in Rafah, southern Gaza strip.
Israeli soldiers reportedly didn’t realize they had encountered Sinwar at first as they were carrying out a "routine" operation in the Tel al-Sultan area of Rafah rather than a “targeted” one.
They fired only after seeing three militants running between buildings.
Afterwards, the Israeli military released drone footage on Telegram, showing what it said was Sinwar’s last moments, when he was seen sitting in a destroyed building with his hand injured, trying to throw a stick at the drone, before he was killed after an Israeli tank fired a shell on the building and it collapsed, according to The New York Times.
Israel later identified Sinwar using DNA, his dental records and fingerprints from when he was previously imprisoned in Israel.
Just hours after confirming Sinwar’s death, Netanyahu gave a speech in Hebrew, saying that the killing of Hamas’ top leader does not mean the “end of war” in Gaza.
“Today, evil has suffered a heavy blow, but the task before us is not yet complete,” he said.
He also addressed the families of hostages held in Gaza, saying that the genocide in Gaza would continue until all hostages were returned, despite he himself having rejected multiple ceasefire deals that would have ensured the return of hostages.
“We will continue full force until the return home of all your loved ones, who are our loved ones too,” Netanyahu said.
“This is our supreme obligation. This is my supreme obligation,” he added.
He then hailed the killing of Sinwar as an “important milestone in the decline of Hamas' evil rule” and asserted that “Hamas will no longer rule in Gaza”.
Netanyahu also went on to say that Israel showed “victory of good over evil. But the war, my dear ones, is not yet over.”
In another speech delivered in English, he once again issued a warning for “those who hurt the hostages”, saying that Israel “will hunt you down and bring you to justice”.
During his speech, he also said that he has a message of hope for the people in the Middle East, claiming that the "axis of terror" led by Iran is collapsing, naming other Hamas and Hezbollah leaders it had killed, including Hamas’ political leader, Ismail Haniyeh and Hezbollah’s longtime leader Hassan Nasrallah.
Netanyahu then urged “people who want peace and prosperity in the Middle East” to unite and "push back the forces of darkness" to create a future of "light and hope."
Hamas has not yet confirmed Sinwar’s death or issued any statement.
Isha Jain
Cherry Mohamed
Cherry Mohamed
