US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said Tuesday that the death of Hamas leader Yahya Sinouar offered an “important opportunity” to end the war in Gaza, at a time when Israel is increasing strikes in Lebanon against the Hezbollah, ally of the Palestinian Islamist movement.
Mr. Blinken, visiting Jerusalem, also urged Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to take “additional measures” to allow humanitarian aid, controlled by Israel, to “reach civilians from one end to the other.” ‘other’ of the besieged Palestinian territory, according to the State Department.
Tuesday evening, Israeli airstrikes targeted the southern suburbs of Beirut, a stronghold of the Lebanese Islamist movement, largely deserted by its residents, a month after the start of the war in Lebanon, the death toll of which exceeds 1,500.
Several bombings had already targeted these neighborhoods during the day, one of which hit an 11-story building which collapsed like a house of cards, according to images shot by AFP.
The Secretary of State, who is on his eleventh tour of the Middle East since the start of the Gaza war, said that the death of Yahya Sinouar offered an “important opportunity to bring the hostages home” and “to put an end to war” in Gaza, meeting Israeli President Isaac Herzog in the evening.
Mr. Netanyahu, according to his office, assured his interlocutor that the death of Sinouar “could have a positive effect on the return of the hostages” held in Gaza.
Yahya Sinouar, considered the mastermind of the October 7, 2023 Hamas attack on Israel, which sparked the war, was killed on October 16 by Israeli soldiers. His death was a severe blow to Hamas, which Israel had promised to destroy.
Israel also confirmed on Tuesday that it had killed Hachem Safieddine in a strike on Beirut in early October, the expected successor at the head of Hezbollah to Hassan Nasrallah, the leader of the movement also killed in a bombing on September 27.
Mr. Blinken, who will stop in Saudi Arabia on Wednesday, also hopes to deter a military escalation between Israel and Iran, which supports Hamas and Hezbollah, after the Iranian missile attack on Israel on October 1.
With AFP
