BERLIN: The killing by Israel of Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar could help bring an end to fighting in the Gaza Strip, UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer said during a visit to Berlin on Friday.
Sinwar, who mastermind the Palestinian militant group’s attack on Israel on October 7 last year, was killed by the Israeli military in southern Gaza’s Rafah on Wednesday.
“I do think the death of Sinwar provides an opportunity for a step toward that ceasefire that we’ve long called for,” Starmer said after talks with German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, US President Joe Biden and France’s President Emmanuel Macron.
The comments echo those of Biden, who said Sinwar’s death was “an opportunity to seek a path to peace, a better future in Gaza without Hamas.”
Starmer added that “allies will keep working together to de-escalate across the region because we know there’s no military-only solution here — the answer is diplomacy.”
He also said that the “dire humanitarian situation can’t continue” in Gaza and called for Israel to facilitate the delivery of more aid to the Strip.
“The world will not tolerate any more excuses on humanitarian assistance. Civilians in northern Gaza need food now,” said Starmer, a human rights lawyer before going into politics.
The comments came as Britain’s Disaster Emergency Committee (DEC) said a urgent appeal for funds for citizens in Gaza, Lebanon and the occupied West Bank had raised £8.8 million ($11.5 million) in the first day.
The DEC brings together 15 leading charities, including Oxfam and ActionAid, to launch national appeals at times of crisis overseas.
It said in a statement that Britain’s head of state, King Charles III, and his wife Camilla “were among the first to donate” to the latest appeal.
UK’s Starmer says death of Hamas chief is ‘opportunity’ for ceasefire
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UK’s Starmer says death of Hamas chief is ‘opportunity’ for ceasefire
- “I do think the death of Sinwar provides an opportunity for a step toward that ceasefire that we’ve long called for,” Starmer said
- Starmer added that “allies will keep working together to de-escalate across the region because we know there’s no military-only solution here — the answer is diplomacy“
Eight taken to hospital after gunfire at Sydney's Bondi beach
Australian police said on Sunday two people were in custody after reports of gunshots and injuries at Sydney's Bondi Beach.
"The police operation is ongoing and we continue to urge people to avoid the area," New South Wales police state in a post on X.
The Sydney Morning Herald said multiple people had been injured, while television networks Sky and ABC aired footage showing people lying on the ground.
Videos circulating on X appeared to show people on Bondi Beach scattering as multiple gunshots and police sirens can be heard. Reuters could not immediately verify the footage.
"We are aware of an active security situation in Bondi. We urge people in the vicinity to follow information from NSW Police," said a spokesperson for Prime Minister Anthony Albanese.
Australian emergency workers said Sunday they had rushed eight people to hospitals after a shooting at Sydney's famed Bondi beach.
"We can just let you know that we have treated multiple people on the scene and at this stage taken eight people to different Sydney hospitals," a spokesperson for the New South Wales ambulance service told AFP.
No figures were immediately available for any fatalities.
