US President Joe Biden said Israel’s killing of Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar on Thursday in Gaza raises the “prospect of a ceasefire” in the year-long war with Israel.

Upon his arrival in Berlin, Mr. Biden called Mr. Sinwar’s death, confirmed minutes earlier by Hamas, a “moment of justice”, given that he orchestrated the October 7 attacks and was responsible for the deaths of Israelis, Palestinians, Germans, Americans and many others. .

During a farewell tour of Europe, Mr Biden said the Hamas leader’s death had removed an “insurmountable obstacle” to a peace deal and left him “more hopeful” about the prospects of a ceasefire in the Middle East. Amid frantic telephone diplomacy with regional leaders, Mr Biden promised to send US Secretary of State Antony Blinken to Israel in the coming days.

“Let’s also make this an opportunity to seek a path to peace, a better future in Gaza without Hamas,” Biden said at a joint news conference alongside Chancellor Olaf Scholz.

The German leader acknowledged that Mr. Sinwar’s death had raised hopes of a “concrete prospect of a ceasefire in Gaza and an agreement on the release of Hamas hostages.”

After a working lunch during a shortened state visit, postponed due to the Florida hurricane last week, the two men were joined by French President Emmanuel Macron and British Prime Minister Keir Starmer.

Their discussions are expected to focus on the Middle East and the “peace plan” for Ukraine presented this week in kyiv.

The United States and Germany remain opposed to easing restrictions on weapons supplied to Ukraine, including allowing them to strike targets in Russia.

Neither has given any indication to Berlin that they will change their position on using their weapons against Russia.

Instead, Mr. Biden promised a new “surge” of military support for Ukraine.

“We support Ukraine as much as possible,” Mr. Scholz said. “At the same time, we fear that NATO will not become a party to the war, so that it does not end in an even more serious catastrophe.”

He praised U.S. leadership through NATO for enabling Ukraine “to confront imperialist Russia over the past two years.”

Returning the compliments, Mr. Biden praised the leadership of Germany in Europe, the second-largest military and humanitarian donor to Ukraine.

“You have shown determination and adapted German foreign policy to new realities,” Mr. Biden said, a nod to modern Germany’s first-ever arms export to a war zone.