Biden called on Israel to use the death of the Hamas leader as a chance to end the war.

US President Joe Biden called the death of Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar a “moment of justice” and called on the Israeli government to “seize this opportunity” to end the year-long war in Gaza.

Biden made his remarks Friday in Berlin, where he is meeting with German Chancellor Olaf Scholz and other European leaders. The Biden administration is actively urging Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to use Sinwar's death as a pretext for a ceasefire. Biden personally conveyed that message to Netanyahu in a call Thursday and plans to send Secretary of State Antony Blinken to the region in the coming days to seize the moment.

“It’s time to move on,” Biden said as he arrived in Berlin on Thursday evening. He expressed hope for a ceasefire in Gaza and assured that he was ready to help bring the hostages home.

Sinwar was seen as the main obstacle to a ceasefire agreement, National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan said. But Netanyahu has so far shown no willingness to negotiate, saying on Thursday that the war with Hamas is “not over yet.”

European leaders have expressed hope that the killing of Hamas leader Sinwar could contribute to a ceasefire in Gaza. US presidential candidate Kamala Harris also expressed the view that Sinwar's death could help end the war in the region. We hope that the parties will find a common language and be able to agree to end the conflict.