BERLIN (AP) — President Joe Biden said Thursday that the killing of Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar by Israeli forces is a “good day for the world,” calling it an opportunity to free hostages held by the militant group and to put an end to the years-long war in Gaza. .

“Now it’s time to move on. … Move toward a ceasefire in Gaza, make sure we move in a direction where we can make things better for the entire world,” Biden told reporters as he arrived in Berlin for a short visit. “It’s time for this war to end and bring these hostages home. That is what we are ready for.”

US officials expressed measured optimism that the killing of a militant characterized by national security adviser Jake Sullivan as a “major obstacle to peace” could breathe new life into ceasefire talks that have been stalled for months breakthrough despite periodic signs of progress. .

“There have been no negotiations to end the war in recent weeks because Sinwar refused to negotiate,” State Department spokesman Matthew Miller told reporters. “We now see an opportunity in that he has been removed from the battlefield, removed from the leadership of Hamas, and we want to seize that opportunity.”

Biden spoke by telephone with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to congratulate him on the mission that killed Sinwar. They also discussed “how to use this moment to bring the hostages home and end the war while Israel’s security is assured and Hamas is never again able to take control of Gaza,” according to a summary of the call by the White House.

However, Netanyahu said on Thursday that “our war is not over yet.” In addition to seeking the release of hostages, Netanyahu has said Israel must maintain long-term control of Gaza to ensure Hamas does not rearm – opening up the possibility of continued fighting.

Biden said he would send Secretary of State Antony Blinken to Israel in the coming days.

In an earlier statement, the president compared the reaction to Sinwar’s death to feelings in the US following the killing of al-Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden, who was responsible for the September 11, 2001, attacks.

He said the murder of the mastermind behind the October 7, 2023, attacks on Israel “proves once again that no terrorist anywhere in the world can escape justice, no matter how long it takes.”

The inability to reach a ceasefire in Gaza and secure the return of the hostages has confused negotiators from the start. Hamas militants killed about 1,200 people in Israel in the attacks that launched the war, and took about 250 people hostage. There are still about 100 hostages in Gaza, about a third of whom are believed to be dead.

Israel’s retaliatory offensive has destroyed much of the Gaza Strip and killed more than 42,000 Palestinians. Gaza’s health ministry does not distinguish between civilians and fighters but says more than half of the dead were women and children.

The US has been working with fellow mediators Egypt and Qatar on a ceasefire proposal since the war began a year ago, with Blinken and other envoys sent to the Middle East several times to unsuccessfully broker a deal come.

Last month, on Blinken’s 10th trip to the region since the start of the Gaza war, he skipped Israel and withheld optimistic predictions of a breakthrough.

“In recent months, Sinwar has repeatedly rejected efforts by the United States and its partners to end this war through an agreement that would return the hostages to their families and alleviate the suffering of the Palestinian people,” Blinken said. a statement on Thursday.

The halting progress and seemingly conflicting priorities have created friction in the relationship between Biden and Netanyahu, as the Israeli leader’s pledge to achieve a “total victory” over Hamas has clashed with US officials’ concerns about large-scale civilian casualties in Gaza. Israeli leaders presented Sinwar’s killing as a moment for Hamas to surrender.

The Biden administration had also urgently called for an immediate ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah to avoid the possibility of all-out war in the Middle East, before shifting its message after Israel killed Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah in an airstrike had killed and proceeded with a ground attack. invasion of Lebanon.

Biden said that with Sinwar’s death, “there is now the opportunity for a ‘day after’ in Gaza without Hamas in power, and for a political settlement that offers a better future for both Israelis and Palestinians.”

He praised U.S. special operations forces and intelligence agents who helped advise Israeli allies over the past year on tracking down and locating Sinwar and other Hamas leaders — even though the U.S. said the operation that killed Sinwar was an Israeli operation.

Sullivan said Sinwar’s removal from the battlefield provides an opportunity to find a path forward that brings the hostages home.

“Now we will have to work to ensure that his death actually delivers the long-lasting blow to Hamas that we would all like to see,” he said.

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Miller reported from Washington. AP reporters Matthew Lee and Eric Tucker contributed from Washington.