Biden Tries to Take Credit for Yahya Sinwar’s Killing, but Opposed Israel’s Operations; Harris Warned of ‘Consequences’

Israel confirmed Thursday that its soldiers had killed Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar during a battle the day before in Gaza. That would have been impossible if President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris had their way.

Nevertheless, Biden tried to take credit in a statement welcoming Sinwar’s death on Thursday:

Shortly after the October 7 massacres, I directed Special Operations personnel and our intelligence professionals to work side-by-side with their Israeli counterparts to help locate and track Sinwar and other Hamas leaders hiding in Gaza.

With our intelligence help, the IDF relentlessly pursued Hamas’s leaders, flushing them out of their hiding places and forcing them onto the run.

In reality, Biden and Harris stood in the way of the Israeli operations that ultimately led to soldiers finding and killing Sinwar, as follows:

1. Sinwar was killed in Rafah. Rafah is a town in southern Gaza near the border with Egypt. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had wanted to enter Rafah in February, saying that Hamas’s leaders, and Israeli hostages, were there. Biden openly opposed Israel’s plans, and Harris warned of “consequences” for Israel, including an arms embargo. Netanyahu eventually ignored them, and Israel entered Rafah in May; few civilians were harmed.

2. Sinwar was killed near the Philadelphi Corridor. Sinwar’s body was found in a building near the Philadelphi Corridor, the road along the border that was the first thing Israeli soldiers seized when entering Gaza. The Biden-Harris administration had pushed Israel to give up control of the Philadelphi Corridor in ceasefire talks. Israel refused, saying the corridor was essential to stopping weapons from flowing in and Hamas leaders from fleeing. Notably, Sinwar’s body was found with cash and passports, suggesting he was trying to escape across the corridor.

3. Sinwar was killed despite threats of an arms embargo. The Biden administration threatened, and Harris endorsed, an arms embargo against Israel just days before Sinwar was killed. The administration demanded Israel “surge” humanitarian aid into Israel and scale back military operations, giving Israel just 30 days in which to comply.

4. Sinwar was killed despite calls for a unilateral ceasefire. Biden and Harris had explicitly called for a temporary ceasefire to allow for a hostage deal; it was their intention that the “temporary” deal become permanent.

5. Sinwar was killed despite promises of intelligence in exchange for a ceasefire. To entice Israel to agree to a ceasefire, with unfavorable conditions, the Biden-Harris administration promised to provide information that, it was said, would identify the location of Hamas leaders. The idea was to end the war while offering Israel the prospect of targeted strikes on Hamas leaders. Ultimately, Sinwar was killed in an ordinary battle — not a targeted operation.

The episode recalled Biden’s contradictory position on the U.S. operation that killed Al Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden in 2011. Biden admitted later that he had opposed the operation as being too risky for political reasons. Once it was successful, Biden and then-President Barack Obama later campaigned on it for re-election, with Biden famously declaring: “Osama bin Laden is dead, and General Motors is alive,” referring to the automotive industry bailout.

Update: White House National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan, speaking to reporters on Air Force One while accompanying the president en route to Europe, gave credit to the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) for the operation.

Joel B. Pollak is Senior Editor-at-Large at Breitbart News and the host of Breitbart News Sunday on Sirius XM Patriot on Sunday evenings from 7 p.m. to 10 p.m. ET (4 p.m. to 7 p.m. PT). He is the author of The Agenda: What Trump Should Do in His First 100 Days, available for pre-order on Amazon. He is also the author of The Trumpian Virtues: The Lessons and Legacy of Donald Trump’s Presidency, now available on Audible. He is a winner of the 2018 Robert Novak Journalism Alumni Fellowship. Follow him on Twitter at @joelpollak.

Correction: Biden’s statement was published Thursday, not Sunday, as previously and erroneously indicated.