France demands release of hostages after Israel eliminates Hamas chief Yahya Sinwar
Oct 18, 2024
Paris [France] October 18 : After the elimination of Hamas chief Yahya Sinwar, the mastermind behind the October 7 attacks in Israel last year, France President Emmanuel Macron on Friday demanded the release of hostages still held by Hamas.
On a social media platform X, Macron said that Sinwar was the "main person" responsible for "barbaric acts of October 7th."
"Yahya Sinwar was the main person responsible for the terrorist attacks and barbaric acts of October 7th. Today, I think about the emotions of the victims, including 48 of our compatriots, and their loved ones. France demands the release of all hostages still held by Hamas," Macron wrote on X.
Earlier, US President Joe Biden also hailed the elimination of Hamas chief, saying it is a "good day" for Israel and for the world.
The US President said the killing of the mastermind of the Hamas attack on Israel "proves once again that no terrorists anywhere in the world can escape justice, no matter how long it takes".
"To my Israeli friends, this is no doubt a day of relief and reminiscence, similar to the scenes witnessed throughout the United States after President Obama ordered the raid to kill Osama Bin Laden in 2011," Biden said.
Israel has confirmed the elimination of Yahya Sinwar, the mastermind behind the October 7 attacks last year.
The conflict in Gaza reignited after Hamas attacked Israel on October 7, 2023. About 2,500 terrorists breached the border into Israel from the Gaza Strip, killing more than 1200 people, including citizens of more than 30 countries, and also took over 250 people as hostages.
Following the October 7 attack, Israel launched a counter-offensive against Hamas, vowing to eliminate the entire terror group while making efforts to minimize civilian casualties.