US President Joe Biden and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu spoke Thursday after news that Israel killed Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar, an official told CNN.
Biden called Netanyahu from Air Force One. During the call, Biden praised the Israel Defense Forces for carrying out “excellent work,” according to a statement from the Israeli prime minister’s office.
The two leaders also agreed that there is an opportunity to “advance the release” of the remaining hostages, according to the statement, and that they will work together to achieve this goal.
“I told him that we were pleased with his actions and further that, now is the time to move on,” Biden told reporters in Berlin. The US president also said he was planning to dispatch US Secretary of State Antony Blinken to the region soon.
There are currently 109 Israeli hostages that remain in Gaza, including 36 believed to be dead, according to data from the Israeli Government Press Office.
The two leaders also discussed what the “day after” looks like in Gaza and how “we secure Gaza and move on,” Biden said.
Earlier today, Biden praised the killing of the militant leader, saying that it was a “good day of Israel, for the United States and for the world.”