Israel’s announcement on Thursday, October 17, of the death of Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar, killed during a military operation in the Gaza Strip, marks a turning point in the war triggered by the attack by the Palestinian movement against Israel from 7-October. Palestinians and families of Israeli hostages hope for an end to the conflict, which has lasted more than a year.
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What to remember
► Israel announced Thursday October 17 that Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar, considered the mastermind behind October 7, had been killed during an operation in Rafah, in the south of the Gaza Strip, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu assuring that this death marked “ the beginning of the end » of the war in Gaza.
► Lebanese Hezbollah announced on Friday that it was opening a new phase of escalation in its confrontation with Israel, while Iran declared that “ the spirit of resistance (would) be strengthened » after the death of Yahya Sinwar.
► Western leaders said the assassination of the Hamas leader offered an opportunity to end the conflict, but the Israeli prime minister said the war was not over and that Israel still aimed to recover the hostages.
Times are in UT universal time (Paris -2h)
05:48: No reactions from leaders in Iran
No senior Iranian official has yet reacted to the death of the Hamas leader. Only Iran’s representative to the United Nations issued a statement to affirm that the martyrdom of Yahya Sinwar ” will be an example for young Palestinians who will continue their journey for the liberation of Palestine “.
The death of the Hamas leader comes after the beheading of Lebanese Hezbollah or even theassassination of Ismaël Haniyeh in Tehran on July 31. Thus, Iran has lost significant support in the region in less than three months, underlines our correspondent in Tehran, Siavosh Ghazi.
This also comes as an Israeli response to the attack launched on October 1 against the Jewish state with 200 missiles is on everyone’s minds. The head of the Revolutionary Guards again affirmed yesterday Thursday that Iran will strike Israel again in the event of an attack on Iranian territory and that the American anti-ballistic system THAAD will not protect the Jewish state.
But the Iranians fear that after its successes against Hamas and Hezbollah, Israel will decide to hit Iran even harder, as the Israeli Prime Minister said.
05:34: Reactions in Egypt to the death of Yahya Sinwar
In Egypt, most reactions are on social networks. The traditional media are content with the factual and reflect Palestinian and international reactions, specifies our correspondent in Cairo, Alexandre Buccianti. On Facebook and especially Twitter, Internet users greeted Yahya Sinwar, “ a resistance fighter, a hero and a martyr “. It is emphasized that he died with weapons in his hands and not hidden in a tunnel behind hostages, as ” the Zionist enemy “.
However, Sinwar’s apology is no longer unanimous. Minority voices are rising on social networks to criticize Hamas, accused of not having taken into consideration the consequences “ inevitable and catastrophic » of the attack of October 7. Iran and its allies, Hezbollah and the Houthis, are also singled out.
On the official side, we are content to warn against an uncontrolled escalation of the conflict which could drag the entire region into turmoil. Remember that a modus vivendi on the closure of the tunnels from Gaza to Sinai made it possible to dissipate years of tension between Cairo and Hamas.
Media sources close to power indicate that the authorities are already preparing to make proposals on a resumption of negotiations for an exchange of hostages and prisoners between Hamas and Israel, during the regional visit of American Secretary of State Antony Blinken . It is specified that contacts are already underway with the Palestinian Fath movement and Hamas for the holding of a meeting between their representatives in Cairo. Egyptian mediators will seek to bring the two sides together to manage the Gaza Strip in the future through the Palestinian Liberation Organization.
05:20: Death of Yahya Sinwar: “ new phase » of the conflict or “ turning » in war?
Reactions are increasing following the death of Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar, killed Thursday October 17 during an Israeli army operation in Gaza. Some Western leaders saw his death as an opportunity to end the conflict, but Benjamin Netanyahu warned the war was not over. Lebanese Hezbollah, for its part, announced that it was opening a new phase of escalation in its confrontation with Israel, while Iran believes that this death will strengthen “ the spirit of resistance “.
Also readDeath of Yahya Sinwar: “new phase” of the conflict or “turning point” in the war?