Zürcher Nachrichten - 'The killings continue': Sinwar death brings no respite for Gazans

EUR -
AED 3.984369
AFN 71.375364
ALL 98.705076
AMD 420.349375
ANG 1.955195
AOA 988.763926
ARS 1063.91818
AUD 1.616715
AWG 1.955308
AZN 1.841868
BAM 1.956495
BBD 2.190478
BDT 129.646071
BGN 1.956642
BHD 0.408885
BIF 3154.821098
BMD 1.084775
BND 1.423806
BOB 7.496664
BRL 6.13788
BSD 1.084886
BTN 91.20241
BWP 14.46514
BYN 3.550362
BYR 21261.599529
BZD 2.186777
CAD 1.495959
CDF 3086.185658
CHF 0.940061
CLF 0.037127
CLP 1024.451371
CNY 7.706789
CNH 7.724464
COP 4616.674296
CRC 557.598148
CUC 1.084775
CUP 28.74655
CVE 110.304198
CZK 25.226563
DJF 193.18687
DKK 7.457875
DOP 65.353224
DZD 144.746974
EGP 52.763367
ERN 16.271632
ETB 130.129343
FJD 2.417096
FKP 0.830037
GBP 0.831682
GEL 2.950225
GGP 0.830037
GHS 17.412027
GIP 0.830037
GMD 75.392924
GNF 9358.325578
GTQ 8.387981
GYD 226.968563
HKD 8.427642
HNL 27.074621
HRK 7.473051
HTG 142.770735
HUF 400.010985
IDR 16807.023234
ILS 4.022554
IMP 0.830037
INR 91.199785
IQD 1421.20504
IRR 45671.762318
ISK 149.102946
JEP 0.830037
JMD 172.341243
JOD 0.768998
JPY 162.73909
KES 140.500055
KGS 92.765368
KHR 4406.565919
KMF 493.409784
KPW 976.297693
KRW 1488.105837
KWD 0.332505
KYD 0.904121
KZT 524.096243
LAK 23798.457027
LBP 97151.523797
LKR 317.652881
LRD 208.844215
LSL 19.05107
LTL 3.20306
LVL 0.65617
LYD 5.219855
MAD 10.743218
MDL 19.326868
MGA 4968.765702
MKD 61.51964
MMK 3523.308465
MNT 3686.067132
MOP 8.681985
MRU 42.950263
MUR 50.377002
MVR 16.662362
MWK 1880.951076
MXN 21.411065
MYR 4.669413
MZN 69.322581
NAD 19.05107
NGN 1773.71493
NIO 39.924187
NOK 11.813487
NPR 145.923856
NZD 1.786948
OMR 0.417606
PAB 1.084886
PEN 4.088653
PGK 4.273519
PHP 62.362119
PKR 301.164222
PLN 4.307569
PYG 8589.052208
QAR 3.956706
RON 4.972936
RSD 116.983241
RUB 104.549991
RWF 1473.323561
SAR 4.07401
SBD 9.047965
SCR 14.773853
SDG 652.48273
SEK 11.422268
SGD 1.42347
SHP 0.830037
SLE 24.537898
SLL 22747.196088
SOS 620.020331
SRD 35.521512
STD 22452.662411
SVC 9.492373
SYP 2725.531243
SZL 19.035765
THB 35.989056
TJS 11.570205
TMT 3.796714
TND 3.356593
TOP 2.540652
TRY 37.199208
TTD 7.361616
TWD 34.789305
TZS 2956.013312
UAH 44.730696
UGX 3979.414126
USD 1.084775
UYU 45.456153
UZS 13889.935932
VEF 3929656.186723
VES 42.39775
VND 27298.37511
VUV 128.786758
WST 3.038656
XAF 656.190184
XAG 0.033786
XAU 0.0004
XCD 2.93166
XDR 0.810688
XOF 656.190184
XPF 119.331742
YER 271.600662
ZAR 19.077849
ZMK 9764.281449
ZMW 28.831245
ZWL 349.297264
  • RBGPF

    0.4200

    60.92

    +0.69%

  • RYCEF

    -0.0100

    7.34

    -0.14%

  • CMSC

    -0.0200

    24.77

    -0.08%

  • BCC

    -0.4600

    141.74

    -0.32%

  • SCS

    -0.2100

    13

    -1.62%

  • RIO

    0.3350

    65.425

    +0.51%

  • GSK

    -0.3650

    38.595

    -0.95%

  • VOD

    0.0400

    9.77

    +0.41%

  • BP

    -0.0380

    31.282

    -0.12%

  • RELX

    -0.4600

    48.13

    -0.96%

  • BTI

    -0.8500

    34.52

    -2.46%

  • NGG

    0.6450

    67.835

    +0.95%

  • JRI

    0.0700

    13.22

    +0.53%

  • BCE

    0.1500

    33.64

    +0.45%

  • AZN

    -0.0550

    77.965

    -0.07%

  • CMSD

    -0.0300

    24.99

    -0.12%

'The killings continue': Sinwar death brings no respite for Gazans
'The killings continue': Sinwar death brings no respite for Gazans / Photo: BASHAR TALEB - AFP

'The killings continue': Sinwar death brings no respite for Gazans

The killing of Hamas chief Yahya Sinwar brought no respite for Palestinians in Gaza, as Israeli air strikes and shelling continued unabated in the territory already devastated by more than a year of war.

Text size:

Despite repeated vows that eliminating Sinwar was a key war aim for Israel, raids continued in the besieged enclave in the hours after Israel announced the death of the militant leader they have long accused of masterminding the October 7 attacks last year.

Following a strike at dawn, Gaza's civil defence agency said rescuers recovered the bodies of three Palestinian children from the rubble of their home in the north of the territory.

"We always thought that when this moment arrived the war would end and our lives would return to normal," Jemaa Abou Mendi, a 21-year-old Gaza resident, told AFP.

"But unfortunately, the reality on the ground is quite the opposite. The war has not stopped, and the killings continue unabated."

Large swathes of northern Gaza remained under siege by Israeli forces, with road closures preventing the delivery of supplies to the area -- despite warnings from the United States that failure to end the blockade could trigger a reduction in arms deliveries to Israel.

"While we hear that delivery of aid will increase, people in Gaza are not feeling any difference," Philippe Lazzarini, the head of the UN agency for Palestinian refugees, wrote on X.

"They continue to be trapped, hungry and sick often under heavy bombardment."

- 'Enough death' -

As news of the death of Sinwar sunk in, many in Gaza saw little reason for the Israeli army to press on with its war in the territory.

"If Sinwar's assassination was one of the objectives of this war, well, today they have killed Yahya Sinwar," said Mustafa Al-Zaeem, a 47-year-old resident from the Rimal neighbourhood in western Gaza City.

"Enough death, enough hunger, enough siege. Enough thirst and starvation, enough bodies and blood."

Hamas's October 7 attack resulted in the deaths of 1,206 people, mostly civilians, according to an AFP tally of official Israeli figures that includes hostages killed in captivity.

Militants also took 251 people hostage during the attack. Ninety-seven remain in Gaza, including 34 who Israeli officials say are dead.

Israel's campaign to crush Hamas and bring back the hostages has killed 42,500 people in Gaza, the majority civilians, according to data from the health ministry in the Hamas-run territory, figures which the UN considers reliable.

- 'Cursed war' -

US President Joe Biden said on Friday he impressed on Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu during a conversation to "also make this moment an opportunity to seek a path to peace, a better future in Gaza without Hamas".

Pressure has also been mounting in Israel to leverage the killing of Sinwar into a tangible plan to secure the release of the remaining hostages held captive in Gaza.

Israeli President Isaac Herzog and Netanyahu met on Friday to discuss the aftermath of Sinwar's death, including the hostages.

A statement released by the presidency said that "a significant window of opportunity opened -- including the promotion of the return of the hostages and the elimination of Hamas".

Late Thursday, Netanyahu vowed that those who helped free the hostage in Gaza would be spared.

"Whoever lays down his weapon and returns our hostages -- we will allow him to go on living," he said.

But in Gaza, some remained sceptical over the fate of the hostages and what any deal would entail for their future.

"Today, Israel is lost and will be searching for the hostages," said Zaeem.

Others saw little reason to trust Netanyahu and only feared more war.

"What we fear most is the continuation of this cursed war."

E.Schneyder--NZN