Rep. Fabian Basabe reacts to death of Yahwa Sinwar: 'An evil was removed from this world today'

MIAMI BEACH - Rep. Fabian Basabe, R-Miami Beach, responded on Thursday to the death of Hamas leader Yahwa Sinwar, the chief mastermind behind the Oct. 7 terror attack that killed 1200 Israelis and the taking of 240 hostages in the Jewish state.

"An evil was removed from this world today. This was the hateful force behind the October 7th attacks. I will always defend Israel’s right to protect its people and will continue to be an unrelenting and unapologetic supporter of America’s greatest ally," Basabe said. "The brave men and women of the IDF deserve immense credit for their tireless efforts in combating terrorism and defending freedom and peace."

Sinwar was reportedly killed by Israeli forces in southern Gaza. A hard-liner among its leadership, Sinwar was believed to have been directing Hamas' tunnel network underneath the Gaza Strip before his death.

In July, Sinwar was appointed leader of Hamas after his predecessor, Ismail Haniyeh, was killed by Israel in an explosion in Tehran. Israeli forces also killed Hamas' military wing leader Mohammad Deif in July and deputy political chief Saleh al-Arouri in a bombing in Beruit in January.

Backdropped by the Israeli-Hamas war, the killing of Sinwar comes after Israel was attacked earlier this month by the Islamic Republic of Iran, which largely funds Hamas.

Represented by Basabe, Miami Beach includes around 20,000 Jews, and roughly 18% of the city's current population are Jewish. Overall, approximately 500,000 Jews are located in the South Florida area.