Keir Starmer says the UK ‘will not mourn’ death of Hamas leader

Sir Keir Starmer has said the UK “will not mourn” the death of Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar after Israel announced he had been killed by its military.

The Prime Minister condemned the mastermind of the October 7 attacks and said his thoughts were with the families of the victims of the incursion.

Tel Aviv said Mr Sinwar was killed on Wednesday in Gaza, with Israeli leaders presenting his death as a turning point in the country’s campaign against Hamas.

Sir Keir said: “As the leader of the terrorist group Hamas, Yahya Sinwar was the mastermind behind the deadliest day in Jewish history since the Holocaust, as 1,200 people were slaughtered in Israel.

“Today my thoughts are with the families of those victims. The UK will not mourn his death.

“The release of all hostages, an immediate ceasefire and an increase in humanitarian aid are long overdue so we can move towards a long-term, sustainable peace in the Middle East.”

Israel has killed more than 42,000 Palestinians and destroyed much of the Gaza Strip during the year-long war in Gaza.

Mr Sinwar’s death is a crippling blow to Hamas, but the group has proven resilient after losses of previous leaders.

He became the overall leader of Hamas in July after his predecessor Ismail Haniyeh was killed in an apparent Israeli strike in the Iranian capital Tehran.

US President Joe Biden said Mr Sinwar’s killing was a “good day for Israel, for the United States, and for the world”, with officials in Washington expressing muted optimism that his death may remove a key obstacle in ceasefire talks that have failed to produce a breakthrough.

However, Israeli premier Benjamin Netanyahu said the country will keep fighting until all Israeli hostages are free, and that it will keep control over Gaza long enough to ensure Hamas does not rearm.

In his speech about Mr Sinwar’s death, Mr Netanyahu said: “Our war is not yet ended.”