NEW DELHI: Following the elimination of Hamas chief Yahya Sinwar by Israeli defence forces, the United States on Friday said that it will "redouble its effort" to bring an end to the Gaza conflict as the "chief obstacle" to cease-fire has been "removed."

US State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller said that the Sinwar has not only refused to "return the hostages" but also turned down the "seize fire proposal" endorsed by the United Nations Security Council (UNSC).

"Over the days ahead US will redouble its effort to return the hostages home, bring an end to this war, to alleviate the suffering of Palestinian people, and to allow the people of Gaza to begin to relive their lives," Miller said.

"The chief obstacle to reaching a cease-fire was Sinwar, who said no time and time again. That obstacle has been removed. Can't predict that whoever replaces him will agree to cease-fire but it does remove the chief obstacle to achieving one. We will continue to work with our partners," he added.

US State Department described Yahya Sinwar as a "brutal, vicious terrorist" responsible for October 7 attack on Israel last year.

"Yahya Sinwar was a brutal, vicious terrorist responsible for the deaths of US citizens, Israeli citizens and civilians from more than 30 countries. His decision, it was very much his decision to launch the terrorist attack of October 7 and unleashed a year of tragedy in the Middle East, 1200 people murdered, 254 hostages kidnapped and hauled in Gaza, infants, elderly and men and women of all ages. More than 40000 people died in Gaza, most of the civilians. That is blood-soaked legacy that Yahya Sinwar leaves behind," Miller said.

Miller asserted that Sinwar has also refused to endorse the "seize fire proposal" by the United Nations Security Council.

"He didn't just launch the conflict but over the past years refused to the efforts of the US and our partners to end it. Refused to return the hostages, refused to agree on the seize fire proposal endorsed by the United Nations Security Council. Who, in recent weeks, refused to even negotiate at all on a cease fire," Miller said.

Earlir, 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 taken 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.