Prime Minister Anthony Albanese says the death of Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar in Gaza “can be a vital turning point” as he renewed calls for the return of hostages, humanitarian support and a ceasefire.
Australian politicians, including Opposition leader Peter Dutton, have responded after in an operation in the southern Gaza Strip on Wednesday (local time).
There was no immediate comment from Hamas, but sources in the militant group said that indications from Gaza suggested Sinwar had been killed in an Israeli operation.
In a post on X, Albanese said Sinwar “was a terrorist and the architect of the atrocities committed on October 7”.
“He was an enemy of the Israeli people and an enemy of peace-loving people everywhere. His death is a significant moment and can be a vital turning point in this devastating conflict,” Albanese said on Friday morning.
“Australia joins with the international community in renewing our call for the return of the hostages, urgent humanitarian support for civilians in Gaza and a ceasefire that will break the cycle of violence and put the region on the path to an enduring two-state solution.”
‘A great day for the Middle East and the world’
Dutton said Sinwar’s death should be marked “as a great day for the Middle East and the world”.
“The world is a safer place without evil terrorists like Yahya Sinwar,” he said in a post on X.
“He had equal disdain for Israelis, as evidenced by the 7th of October atrocity, as he did for his own people whom he used as human shields and kept impoverished in pursuit of his own twisted world view.
“Release the hostages now and mark his death as a great day for the Middle East and the world.”
Sinwar was considered an, during which about 1,200 people were killed and about 250 people taken hostage, according to Israeli tallies.
It sparked the offensive in Gaza, which has killed more than 42,000 Palestinians, according to the local health authority, and .
Opposition foreign affairs spokesperson Simon Birmingham said with Sinwar’s death “an ugly flame of vicious terrorism has been extinguished”.
“Hopefully his death provides some justice to the families of those killed or taken on October 7,” he said in a statement.
“Not only was Yahya Sinwar responsible for the brutal killings of Israelis but also the tragedy that has engulfed Palestinians as Hamas leaders and operatives like him have hidden among and beneath innocent civilians.”
He called for the release of all hostages, the surrender of “remaining terrorist capabilities” and to secure a ceasefire.
‘We will continue full force’, Benjamin Netanyahu says
Some Western leaders said Sinwar’s death offered an opportunity for the Hamas-Israel war in Gaza to end. But Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu warned it was not over, and Israel would continue until its hostages were returned.
“Today we have settled the score. Today evil has been dealt a blow but our task has still not been completed,” Netanyahu said in a recorded video statement.
“To the dear hostage families, I say: This is an important moment in the war. We will continue full force until all your loved ones, our loved ones, are home.”
The conflict in the Middle East has widened, with Israel launching a ground campaign in Lebanon over the past month. It has also vowed to retaliate , an ally of Hamas and Lebanon’s Hezbollah.
Israeli foreign minister Israel Katz said: “This is a great military and moral achievement for Israel.”
In Israel, families of hostages held by Hamas in Gaza said they hoped for a ceasefire now to bring home the captives, but also feared their loved ones were in greater danger.
In Gaza, residents said they believed the war would continue, but they clung to their hope of self-determination.
With additional reporting by the Reuters news agency.
