Courtesy of JNS. Photo credit: Ariel Hermoni/Israeli Ministry of Defense
Defense Minister Yoav Gallant (left) meets with U.S. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin in Israel on Oct. 13, 2023
(JNS) — Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant on Thursday night briefed his American counterpart Lloyd Austin on the successful elimination of Hamas terror chief Yahya Sinwar in the Gaza Strip.
Gallant “stressed his commitment to ensuring that 101 hostages held by Hamas in Gaza return to Israel,” while noting “the urgency and unique opportunity that has been created.” To this end, he called on Hamas terrorists “to cease fire and immediately release the hostages,” according to a statement from his office.
Gallant described Sinwar’s demise as an “extraordinary operational achievement and strategic game-changer,” and expressed his appreciation to Austin for his supportive message to the IDF and the State of Israel.
Meanwhile, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Thursday night phoned Israeli President Isaac Herzog to congratulate him on Sinwar’s death.
The secretary noted “that justice had been served, and the world was now a better place without a man who was responsible for the deaths of many civilians and who obstructed any peace process in the region,” according to a statement from Herzog’s office.
For his part, the president emphasized that “the issue of returning the hostages must be a top priority, and now there was an important opportunity to focus all resources and efforts on bringing the hostages back home.”
The secretary agreed that “a year after the horrific massacre, they must work together to swiftly return the hostages to their homes,” adding that “the U.S. intended to significantly focus its efforts to achieve this goal.”
