American President Joe Biden called the death of Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar, is “a moment of justice” and an opportunity to seek “peace” on lingering hostilities between Israel and Palestine.

“The death of the leader of Hamas is a moment of justice,” Mr Biden said on Friday in Berlin, where he is meeting with German Chancellor Olaf Scholz and other European leaders.

“The blood of Americans, Israelis, Germans are, all others are in his hands.”

The American president also called for a ceasefire in Gaza, saying Mr Sinwar’s death provides  “an opportunity to seek a path to peace — a better future in Gaza without Hamas.”

On Friday, Hamas confirmed Mr Sinwar was killed by Israeli soldiers but vowed not to free Israeli captives until the Gaza war is ended.

Khalil al-Hayya, Mr Sinwar’s deputy who lives in exile in Qatar, said, “We are continuing Hamas’s path,” adding that Mr Sinwar’s “banner will not fall.”

Similarly, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu also said the killing of Mr Sinwar will not end the ongoing war in Gaza.

“Yahya Sinwar is dead,” Mr Netanyahu declared in a statement on X on Friday morning. “He was killed in Rafah by the brave soldiers of the Israel Defense Forces. While this is not the end of the war in Gaza, it’s the beginning of the end.”

Mr Sinwar’s death comes as another episode in the ongoing conflict between Israel and Hamas. 

The Israeli military confirmed on Thursday that Mr Sinwar, one of the masterminds of October 7, 2023 attack that left over 1,000 dead in Isreal, was killed in a firefight between Israeli soldiers and Hamas forces.

Mr Sinwar assumed leadership of Hamas in August, shortly after Hamas’ former leader, Ismail Haniyeh’s assassination in Iran on 31 July. 

Before his appointment, Mr Sinwar was a prominent figure within Hamas, having joined the organisation in the 1980s and serving as its leader in Gaza since 2017.