Trudeau says death of Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar ‘ends a reign of terror’

OTTAWA — The death of Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar in the Gaza Strip “ends a reign of terror,” Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said Thursday, as some world leaders suggested his death may bring about a better chance of ending the current conflict and bringing lasting peace in the Middle East.

Sinwar was one of the chief architects of the attack on Israel last October that prompted an Israeli bombardment and ground invasion, and a conflict that has drawn in countries across the Middle East.

The Israeli military declared that it had killed Sinwar during a Wednesday battle in Gaza and confirmed his death with a DNA test. Israeli leaders celebrated his killing and believe it to be a moment for Hamas to surrender and release some 100 hostages it still holds captive, though Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said “our war has not yet ended.”

Trudeau called Sinwar a “brutal leader” of a group Canada deems a terrorist organization.

“Under Sinwar’s leadership, Hamas carried out the horrific atrocities of Oct. 7, sought to destroy Israel, and launched senseless, devastating terrorist attacks on civilians across the region,” Trudeau said. “Today delivers a measure of justice for his victims and their families.”

Foreign Affairs Minister Mélanie Joly said Sinwar’s “legacy of terror must be unequivocally and universally condemned.”

“Hamas must immediately release hostages, lay down its arms, and have no role in the future governance of Gaza. A ceasefire must be secured.”

U.S. President Joe Biden called Sinwar’s death a “good day for Israel, for the United States, and for the world,” and said it represented an opportunity to free Israeli hostages held by Hamas and end the yearlong war in Gaza.

He said with Sinwar’s death “there is now the opportunity for a ‘day after’ in Gaza without Hamas in power, and for a political settlement that provides a better future for Israelis and Palestinians alike.”

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said Sinwar repeatedly “rebuffed efforts by the United States and its partners to bring this war to a close through an agreement that would return the hostages to their families and alleviate the suffering of the Palestinian people.”

He said the U.S. will step up its efforts to end the conflict, release the hostages and allow the people of Gaza to rebuild “free from the brutal grip of Hamas.”

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 17, 2024.

— With files from The Associated Press

Dylan Robertson, The Canadian Press