Hamas leader’s death creates chance for ceasefire, US Defense Secretary says

Reuters
US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin attends the NATO Defense Ministers meeting at the Alliance headquarters in Brussels, Belgium on Oct. 18, 2024. (Reuters)
  • Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin says that US Forces in the Middle East stand ready to support Israel’s defense

BRUSSELS: Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar’s killing opens a major opportunity to negotiate a lasting ceasefire, US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin told reporters on Friday, after attending a NATO defense ministers’ meeting in Brussels.
He added that US Forces in the Middle East stand ready to support Israel’s defense.
“Sinwar’s death also provides an extraordinary opportunity to achieve a lasting ceasefire, to end this awful war and to rush humanitarian aid into Gaza,” he said.