Jerusalem, Oct 23 : The killing of Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar could positively affect the release of Israeli hostages and help achieve the Israeli war's objectives, said Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Sinwar's death could "positively influence the return of the hostages, the achievement of all war goals, and the post-war reality," said Netanyahu when meeting with visiting US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, according to a statement released by the Prime Minister's office.The "friendly and productive" meeting in Jerusalem, in which the two discussed the "governance framework in Gaza for the day after the war," lasted two and a half hours, the statement said on Tuesday. A press release by the US Department of State showed that Blinken "reaffirmed the United States' ironclad commitment to Israel's security" during the meeting, Xinhua news agency reported.

Following the meeting, Blinken wrote on social media platform X that he and Netanyahu "talked about the importance of seizing this opportunity to end the conflict in Gaza, return all hostages, and chart a path to lasting peace and security for Israelis and Palestinians alike." Israel has been launching a large-scale offensive against Hamas in Gaza to retaliate against a Hamas rampage through the southern Israeli border on October 7, 2023, during which about 1,200 people were killed and around 250 others taken hostage.

The Palestinian death toll from ongoing Israeli attacks in the Gaza Strip has risen to 42,718, the Gaza-based health authorities said in a statement on Tuesday. Sinwar was killed in an Israeli attack on southern Gaza in mid-October.

/IANS