JNS
Foreign Minister Israel Katz called the operation "a great military and moral achievement for Israel and a victory for the entire free world."
Knesset members from left and the right praised the Israel Defense Forces on Thursday night following the news of Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar's death in a shootout with IDF soldiers in southern Gaza.
"We will reach every terrorist and eliminate them," Defense Minister Yoav Gallant tweeted after the news broke on Thursday afternoon.
“You will pursue your enemies, and they will fall before you by the sword,” added the defense minister, quoting Leviticus 26:7.
Foreign Minister Israel Katz called the operation "a great military and moral achievement for Israel and a victory for the entire free world against the evil axis of radical Islam led by Iran.”
Sinwar's death “creates a possibility” for getting the captives released and for creating a Gaza free of Hamas and Iranian influence, Katz said.
Knesset Speaker Amir Ohana, like Katz a member of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's ruling Likud Party, called on Hamas terrorists to lay down their arms and release the 101 hostages held in the Gaza Strip.
“A year ago, he was victorious. Now he is eliminated. Where will you be in a year?” Ohana wrote in Arabic, posting two photos of Sinwar. The first shows the terrorist leader following the 2014 Gaza war ("Operation Protective Edge"), while the second is an unverified picture appearing to show his corpse.
Diaspora Affairs Minister Amichai Chikli said, "Respect for the troops, closing a very important circle that may have far-reaching implications for the campaign and our ability to bring our people home.
"An evening on which anyone who advocated submitting to the demands of this rat should show some humility," Chikli added.
Communications Minister Shlomo Karhi turned to the "dear and worried families" of the remaining hostages in a post on social media.
Jerusalem "is committed with all its might to return our 101 brothers and sisters," he said. "A year after the worst disaster since the Holocaust, Israel, under the leadership of Prime Minister Netanyahu, is on its way to absolute victory, and to a future of historic change on its borders."
National Mission Minister Orit Strock called Sinwar's killing "an important milestone in the war," adding that his death in Rafah "proves how important it is that we entered there, and that we did not leave."
Opposition leader Yair Lapid (Yesh Atid Party) called on the Netanyahu government to “take advantage of the opportunity for a decisive move regarding the hostages.
“Strive for a comprehensive deal and offer monetary rewards and safe passage to anyone who brings captives to our forces,” he tweeted.
Benny Gantz, leader of the opposition National Unity Party, said, "This is an important achievement with a clear message—we will pursue our enemies to the end, anytime and anywhere.
"This circle is closed, but the mission is not over. The IDF will continue to operate in the Gaza Strip for years to come, and serial achievements and the elimination of Sinwar must be taken advantage of to bring about the return of the hostages and the replacement of Hamas' rule," he said.
