“We settled the accounts, but the war is not over”

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Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said late Thursday (October 17) that the death of Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar offers a chance for peace in the Middle East, but warned that the war in Gaza is not over and that Israel will continue until the hostages return home, reports The Times of Israel.

“Today I settled the accounts. Today evil has been dealt a blow, but our task is not yet complete,” Netanyahu said in a videotaped statement. “To the dear families of the hostages, I say: this is an important moment in the war. We will continue with all our strength until all your loved ones, our loved ones, are at home,” the Israeli prime minister told them.

“Hamas will no longer rule Gaza,” Netanyahu promised. “This is the beginning of the post-Hamas day, and this is an opportunity for you, the people of Gaza, to finally free yourself from its tyranny,” Netanyahu said, then addressing Gaza’s civilians. “Sinwar ruined your life. He told her he was a lion, but in reality he was hiding in a dark den. And he was killed when he ran away in panic from our soldiers,” Netanyahu told them.

“To the Hamas terrorists, I say: your leaders are on the run and they will be eliminated,” he continued. “All those holding hostages will be allowed to live if they lay down their arms and release their prisoners,” the Israeli prime minister promised. “And at the same time, I say: whoever harms our hostages will have blood on their foreheads,” Netanyahu added. “We will come to an account with him”, threatened the prime minister.

Netanyahu emphasized that the release of the hostages brings the war to an end.

Then addressing the nations of the Middle East, Netanyahu said that there is “a great opportunity to stop the axis of evil (Iran and its allies – no) and create a different future.”

Then settling scores with critics, Netanyahu said Sinwar’s killing made it clear to people in Israel and abroad why his government insisted on continuing the war. This is “why we insisted, in the face of all the pressure, to enter Rafah, the fortified bastion of Hamas, where Sinwar and many of the killers hid”, he pointed out.

However, Netanyahu warned, the war is not over yet and continues to pay a heavy toll.

Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar, the mastermind of the October 7, 2023 attack on Israel that triggered the Gaza war, has been killed by Israeli forces in the Palestinian enclave, Israel announced Thursday.

His killing marks a huge success for Israel and a crucial event in the year-long conflict. There are a number of possible scenarios for what happens next, but Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has indicated that the war will continue.

The Israeli military said it killed Sinwar in an operation in the southern Gaza Strip. “After completing the process of identifying the body, it can be confirmed that Yahya Sinwar has been eliminated,” he announced.

There was no immediate comment from Hamas. In Israel, the families of hostages held by Hamas in Gaza said they hoped a ceasefire would now be reached to bring the prisoners home.

In Gaza, hit relentlessly by Israeli forces for a year, residents believe the war will continue, but still cling to their hope for self-determination, Reuters reports.