October 17, 2024, New York, NY – Justice has been delivered to Yahya Sinwar, one of the key masterminds behind the October 7 massacre in Israel. His hands are drenched in the blood of innocent Israeli babies, children, women, and the elderly, including Holocaust survivors. While we find some solace in this decisive retribution, the grim reality remains: his terrorists still hold Israeli civilians as hostage, including one-year-old Kfir Bibas, who spent his first birthday in captivity in Gaza, alongside his mother and five-year-old brother.
Sinwar’s discovery in Rafah vindicates the long-held stance of Israeli political and military leaders, who have consistently argued that targeting this key city on the Egyptian border was crucial to dismantling the terror network.
This is a defining moment for Palestinians, with deep political and military implications for the region. There should be celebration among at least some Palestinians in Gaza, as Sinwar used the enclave’s two million residents—including thousands of families—as human shields, embodying cold-blooded depravity on an unprecedented scale in modern conflict.
Sinwar’s elimination deals a serious blow to Iran, stripping it of its key Palestinian proxy commander, a crucial figure in advancing Tehran’s anti-Israel agenda and derailing U.S.-led efforts for peace and economic integration with Arab states. Israel, committed to these peace initiatives, was targeted in one of the worst terror attacks on Jews since the Holocaust when it was busy negotiating peace.
Israel has now removed a key driver of regional conflict, offering Palestinians a chance to rid themselves of extremists and terrorists, and to refocus on coexistence, economic growth, and peace.
This is also a chance for Hamas to surrender, release the hostages, and for Hezbollah and Iran to relent and end the war. But if Hamas and its partners refuse, Israel’s fight isn’t over. The terror group must be dismantled to prevent another October 7. Israel faces a multi-front war fueled by Iran’s terror network, with Sinwar as just one cog in a machine targeting Israel, Arab partners, and American interests. Israel deserves the full support of the civilized world to neutralize this threat and build a future of peace for Israelis, Palestinians, and the entire region.
