Iran's supreme leader has declared that Hamas will survive despite the death of its leader Yahya Sinwar in an Israeli military operation in Gaza.
Sinwar, who had been operating from the shadows, assumed leadership of Hamas following the killing of its previous leader, Ismail Haniyeh, in Tehran in July.
The new Hamas leader was seen as the mastermind behind the October 7 attacks on Israel last year that ignited the ongoing war in Gaza.
His death on Wednesday came as a result of an Israeli military operation in Gaza.
Ayatollah Ali Khamenei warned Hamas will survive after Yahya Sinwar's death
REUTERS
Israel's Foreign Ministry confirmed Sinwar's death on Thursday, with the country's Foreign Minister Israel Katz saying: "Mass murderer Yahya Sinwar, who was responsible for the massacre and atrocities of October 7, was killed today by IDF soldiers."
In drone footage just moments before his death, Sinwar was seen masked and mortally wounded in a shell-smashed apartment trying to hurl a stick at the drone.
Political leaders in the West have claimed Sinwar's death may be a stepping stone to a ceasefire but a statement issued by Iran's supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei warned the group will "remain alive".
In a statement released on Saturday, Khamenei said: "His loss is certainly painful for the resistance front [against Israel], but it will not end at all with the martyrdom of Sinwar".
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Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar
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He added that "Hamas is alive and will remain alive" and signalled Iran's continued support for the Palestinian militant group.
Khamenei went on to call Sinwar "the shining figure of resistance and struggle".
He continued: "He stood with unwavering determination against the cruel and aggressive enemy and slapped them with tact and courage.
"He left behind the irreparable blow of October 7, 2023, as his legacy in the history of this region, and then he soared with honour and pride to the ascension of the martyrs."
Protesters gather to mourn Yahya Sinwar in Sanaa, Yemen
REUTERS
The Islamic Republic has made support for the Palestinian cause a cornerstone of its foreign policy since the 1979 Islamic Revolution.
Following Sinwar's death, US President Joe Biden said on Friday there was an opportunity to deal with Israel and Iran in a way that potentially ends their conflict in the Middle East for a while.
Speaking to reporters at the end of a visit to Berlin, Biden also said he has an understanding of how and when Israel was going to retaliate against missile attacks by Iran but declined to elaborate.
Joe Biden says a ceasefire is more likely
REUTERS
Tensions have been high in the region with Israel planning a response to the October 1 missile attack carried out by Tehran.
"There's an opportunity in my view and my colleagues agree that we can probably deal with Israel and Iran in a way that ends the conflict for a while," Biden said.
"That ends the conflict, in other words, that stops the back and forth."
Biden added that he believed there was a possibility of working towards a ceasefire in Lebanon but that such efforts would be harder in Gaza.