Former President Donald Trump, this year’s Republican nominee for president, has weighed in on Israel’s killing of Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar one day after Vice President Kamala Harris, the Democratic nominee, offered her take.
Sinwar’s death was announced by Israel on Thursday, with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu saying that his country had “settled its account” with a person responsible for “the worst massacre in the history of our people since the Holocaust.”
Harris responded to Sinwar’s death almost immediately, saying during a campaign visit to a Wisconsin college campus on Thursday that it meant “Hamas is decimated and its leadership is eliminated.”
“Justice has been served,” Harris said. “And the United States, Israel and the entire world are better off as a result. Sinwar was responsible for the killing of thousands of innocent people, including the victims of October 7 and hostages in Gaza. He had American blood on his hands.”
“This moment gives us an opportunity to finally end the war in Gaza,” she continued. “And it must end such that Israel is secure, the hostages are released, the suffering in Gaza ends and the Palestinian people can realize their right to dignity, freedom and self-determination.”
Bill Pugliano; Win McNamee
On Friday, Trump told reporters in Detroit that Sinwar’s death “makes it easier” to end the ongoing Israel-Hamas war in Gaza, while adding that he intends to speak with Netanyahu about the situation soon, according to Reuters.
The former president also denounced President Joe Biden—who said shortly after Sinwar’s death was announced that it was a “good day” for the U.S., Israel and the world—accusing him of attempting to convince Netanyahu to ease off on Israeli attacks in Gaza.
“Biden is trying to hold him back,” Trump reportedly said. “And he probably should be doing the opposite actually.”
U.S. intelligence and special operations forces have been assisting Israel throughout the war. On Thursday, the president called Netanyahu to “congratulate” him on Sinwar’s death, with the leaders discussing “how to use this moment to bring the hostages home and to bring the war to a close,” according to a White House readout.
“I called Bibi Netanyahu to congratulate him on getting Sinwar,” Biden told reporters in Germany, where the president took part in meetings with European leaders on Friday. “I told him that we were really pleased with his actions and, further, that now is the time to move on … towards a ceasefire in Gaza.”
Newsweek reached out for comment to the White House and the Trump and Harris campaigns via email on Friday night.
The war in Gaza began after Hamas launched a surprise attack on Israel on October 7, 2023, killing around 1,200 Israelis and taking hundreds more hostage. Retaliatory attacks by Israel have since killed approximately 42,000 Palestinians, according to the Hamas-run Gaza Health Ministry.
