Lebanon’s Hezbollah announced on Friday that it was entering a more intense phase in its conflict with Israel. Yahya Sinwar, who orchestrated the October 7, 2023, attack that led to the ongoing Gaza war, was killed by Israeli forces in Gaza on Wednesday.
Western leaders viewed his death as a potential step toward ending the conflict, but Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu asserted the war would continue until all hostages taken by Hamas were released.
"Today we have settled the score. Evil has been dealt a blow, but our mission is not yet complete," Netanyahu declared in a video, highlighting the ongoing nature of the operation. He reassured the families of the hostages, pledging to keep fighting until all captives were safely returned.
Sinwar, who became the head of Hamas after the assassination of political leader Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran in July, had been hiding in Hamas' tunnel network under Gaza. He was killed in a gunfight with Israeli soldiers in southern Gaza on Wednesday, though the troops were initially unaware they had captured Israel's most wanted figure.
Israeli forces released drone footage showing Sinwar in a destroyed building, covered in dust. Although Hamas has not issued an official response, internal sources indicated that signs suggest Sinwar was killed by Israeli forces.
Sinwar's death may escalate tensions in the Middle East, with Israel launching a ground campaign in Lebanon and planning a response to Iran's Oct. 1 missile attack.
U.S. President Biden, who congratulated Netanyahu, sees Sinwar's death as an opportunity for a ceasefire and the release of hostages, though Iran and Hezbollah remain defiant, vowing to intensify resistance.
Families of Israeli hostages acknowledged Sinwar's death as significant but said it is incomplete while hostages remain in Gaza. Avi Marciano, father of a victim, called Sinwar’s death " a little justice, but no comfort" until the remaining hostages return home.
In Gaza, Palestinian Thabet Amour stated that Sinwar's assassination would not end the resistance or lead to surrender.
Start your day informed with AnewZ Morning Brief. Here are the top news stories for the 14th of August, covering the latest developments....
The U.S. will impose unprecedented measures on Iran in order to economically isolate the country, U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent has said...
Hundreds of flights have been cancelled or rerouted at Catania Airport over the past week as ash from Mount Etna’s ongoing eruption contin...
Disruption in the Strait of Hormuz has increased the strategic importance of Bab al-Mandab, raising fears that instability in both waterways could trigger a wider global energy and trade crisis.
Flights at Catania airport in Sicily will remain suspended until early Friday as ash from Mount Etna continues to disrupt air travel, following hundreds of cancellations and diversions over the past week.
Iran says the Strait of Hormuz remains under its control, rejecting U.S. President Donald Trump’s claim of “total control” over the strategic waterway and insisting it will not reopen until Washington fulfils its commitments under an interim deal.
Iran and the United States remain at loggerheads over efforts to agree a permanent end to the war in the Gulf, according to a senior Iranian source who said there had been no progress in talks to revive the interim deal agreed in June and define a timeframe to implement it.
Russia has accused Ukraine of threatening global grain supplies after recent strikes on Black Sea agricultural infrastructure, while Moscow carried out a new overnight attack on Ukraine’s major Danube port of Izmail.
Start your day informed with AnewZ Morning Brief. Here are the top news stories for the 14th of August, covering the latest developments.
Hundreds of flights have been cancelled or rerouted at Catania Airport over the past week as ash from Mount Etna’s ongoing eruption continues to disrupt air travel in Sicily.
Record rainfall in Japan’s Chiba Prefecture has killed four people and left thousands stranded overnight at Tokyo’s Narita Airport, as torrential rain disrupted rail, bus and texi services across the prefracture and left more than 20,000 households without power.
The Democratic Republic of the Congo’s (DRC) Ebola outbreak has spread to a sixth province. A man died of the virus in Bas-Uélé in the north, the African Union’s health agency said.
At least 437 civilians were killed and 2,610 injured in Ukraine last month, according to UN investigators, marking the highest monthly civilian casualty toll since March 2022.
You can download the AnewZ application from Play Store and the App Store.
What is your opinion on this topic?
Leave the first comment