Hezbollah vows to escalate war following death of Hamas leader

Jerusalem — Hezbollah vowed Friday to escalate its war with Israel a day after Israeli Defense Forces said they had killed Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar, the architect of the October 7 Hamas terror attack that sparked the Gaza war.

The IDF said Thursday its forces — apparently by chance and without knowledge of Sinwar's location — encountered him and two other militants in a southern Gaza building and opened fire.

Israel almost immediately suspected it had killed the 61-year-old Sinwar but only confirmed it after hours of investigation, including checking his DNA and dental records.

In a televised statement Friday, the head of Hamas in Gaza, Khalil Hayya, confirmed Sinwar's death, saying Hamas honors "the memory of the fallen martyr, Yahya Sinwar." Describing him as "steadfast, brave and intrepid," Hayya said Sinwar "sacrificed his life to the cause of our liberation."

He added that the captives held in Gaza will not be released until the occupation's authorities stop their attacks on Gaza and withdraw their forces from the besieged enclave.

Hezbollah, in a statement, while making no mention of Sinwar or his death, announced "a transition to a new and escalatory phase in the confrontation with the Israeli enemy, which will be reflected in the developments and events of the coming days."

Speaking Friday in Berlin, U.S. President Joe Biden called the death of Sinwar a "moment of justice" saying, "He had the blood of Americans and Israelis, Palestinians and Germans, and so many others on his hands."

But he said he told Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to "also make this moment an opportunity to seek a path to peace, a better future in Gaza without Hamas."

Speaking in Brussels on Friday, U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said, "Of course there is" an opportunity with respect to Gaza now that Hamas' Yahya Sinwar is dead. "We would hope that we can work together to take advantage of that opportunity."

The IDF announced Friday it was calling up an additional reserve brigade for northern Israel. "Its mobilization will allow the continuation of the fighting effort against the terrorist organization Hezbollah and the achievement of the goals of the war, including the safe return of the residents of the north to their homes."

The IDF also said Friday its 188th Brigade continues ground activity in southern Lebanon. It reported that troops destroyed dozens of warehouses filled with munitions, several shafts, and enemy infrastructure.

The IDF also reported that an airstrike destroyed Hezbollah's regional headquarters "from which many launches were made toward the northern settlements in recent months."

Hamas militants killed 1,200 people and captured about 250 hostages in their October 7 terror attack on Israel, and Israel says it believes Hamas is still holding 101 hostages, including 35 the military says are dead.

Israel's counteroffensive in Gaza has killed more than 42,500 Palestinians, according to the territory's health ministry, which does not distinguish between combatants and civilians in its count. The Israeli military says the death toll includes thousands of militants.

Hamas and Hezbollah have been designated as terror groups by the United States and other Western countries.

Nearly three-quarters of Gaza's 2.3 million population is displaced, and nearly the entire population is at risk of famine, according to the United Nations.

Some information for this report was provided by The Associated Press, Reuters and Agence France-Presse.