Israel and Hamas signal resistance to ending Gaza war after Sinwar’s death

The standoff comes as Israel’s war with Lebanon’s Hezbollah, a Hamas ally backed by Iran, has intensified in recent weeks.

Fri, 18 Oct, 2024 - 20:28

Associated Press

Hamas confirmed on Friday that its leader, Yahya Sinwar, was killed by Israeli forces in Gaza and reiterated its stance that hostages the militant group took from Israel a year ago will not be released until there is a ceasefire in Gaza and a withdrawal of Israeli troops.

The group’s position rejected a statement by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu a day earlier that his country’s military will keep fighting until the hostages are released and will remain in Gaza to prevent a severely weakened Hamas from rearming.