President Joe Biden announced on Thursday that he is sending Secretary of State Antony Blinken to Israel within the next five days and expressed renewed optimism for a cease-fire in Gaza, following the death of Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar.
Biden made the comments shortly after arriving in Berlin, responding to the Israeli army’s confirmation that Sinwar had been killed in a military operation in Gaza.
“Sinwar had a lot of blood on his hands – American, Israeli, and others,” Biden said, emphasizing the need to move forward. “Now is the time to push for a cease-fire in Gaza and work toward making things better for the whole world. This war needs to end, and we need to bring the hostages home.”
Biden also shared that he had spoken with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. The two leaders discussed plans for the future, focusing on how to secure Gaza and move beyond the conflict.
The White House later confirmed that Biden called Netanyahu to congratulate him on the operation in Gaza that led to Sinwar’s death.
