World
Sinwar's removal from battlefield is ‘significant,’ presents opportunity for cease-fire, State Department says
The State Department on Thursday said the killing of Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar by Israeli troops presented an “opportunity” for a potential cease-fire and an end to the yearlong war.
State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller said until Sinwar’s death, “there’s been no path to ending this war because Sinwar has refused to talk about releasing the hostages.”
Yahya Sinwar chairs a meeting with leaders of Palestinian factions at his office in Gaza City April 13, 2022. (AP)
“We now see an opportunity with him having been removed from the battlefield, being removed from the leadership of Hamas. We wanted to seize that opportunity,” Miller said.
Sinwar was a chief architect of the Oct. 7, 2023, massacre in which Hamas militants stormed into Israel, killing nearly 1,200 people and kidnapping 250 others in an attack that stunned the country. As of October 2024, Hamas militants are still holding around 100 hostages.
WHO WAS YAHYA SINWAR? THE ISRAELI PRISONER TURNED TERRORIST HAMAS LEADER KILLED BY IDF TROOPS
IDF Chief of Staff Herzi Halevi speaks with troops at the location where Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar was killed. (Israel Defense Forces)
Israeli forces hailed Sinwar’s death as a major victory, but Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu vowed that his country will keep fighting until all hostages are free. He said Israeli forces will control Gaza long enough to ensure that Hamas does not rearm.
BIDEN, US LAWMAKERS PRAISE DEATH OF HAMAS LEADER YAHYA SINWAR BY ISRAEL: ‘THE WORLD IS A SAFER PLACE’
A view of a poster in the Iranian capital of Tehran featuring Hamas political chief Yahya Sinwar Aug. 13, 2024 (Fatemeh Bahrami/Anadolu via Getty Images)
It’s not clear who will succeed Sinwar. While his death is a crippling blow to Hamas, the group has proven resilient to past losses of its leaders.
“One thing we do know for certain is that the world is a better place with Sinwar gone from it, and it gives us an opportunity that we didn’t have as long as he still called the shots for Hamas,” Miller said. “Now what that will mean, we’ll have to wait and see in the days ahead.”
In the 12 months of fighting, Israeli forces have killed more than 42,000 Palestinians and destroyed much of the Gaza Strip. The figures come from the Hamas-run Gaza Health Ministry, which does not distinguish between civilians and combatants but says half of those who were killed were women and children.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
new video loaded: Train Crashes Into Bangkok Traffic, Killing at Least 8 People
By Jorge Mitssunaga
May 16, 2026
World
WHO declares Ebola outbreak in Central Africa a public health emergency after 80 suspected deaths
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The World Health Organization declared an Ebola outbreak in Central Africa an international public health emergency on Sunday after dozens of suspected deaths were reported in the Democratic Republic of Congo and neighboring Uganda.
The outbreak, caused by the Bundibugyo virus, does not meet the criteria for a pandemic emergency, the WHO said.
The declaration follows reports of 80 suspected deaths, eight laboratory-confirmed cases and 246 suspected cases as of Saturday across at least three health zones in the Democratic Republic of Congo, including Bunia, Rwampara and Mongbwalu.
The development comes as global health officials continue monitoring a rare hantavirus outbreak tied to the MV Hondius cruise ship, which left multiple passengers and crew members sick, and caused three deaths.
NEW EBOLA OUTBREAK LEAVES 65 DEAD AS OFFICIALS WARN OF CROSS-BORDER SPREAD
A health worker sprays disinfectant on a colleague after working at an Ebola treatment center in Beni, eastern Congo, on Sept. 9, 2018. (Al-hadji Kudra Maliro/AP)
As of May 13, the WHO said 11 hantavirus cases had been identified in connection with the cruise outbreak, including eight confirmed cases, two probable cases and one inconclusive case.
In neighboring Uganda’s capital, Kampala, the WHO said two apparently unrelated laboratory-confirmed Ebola cases — including one death — were reported Friday and Saturday involving people who had traveled from the DRC.
Another laboratory-confirmed case was reported in the DRC capital of Kinshasa involving a person returning from Ituri province.
Initial tests suggested the outbreak does not involve the Ebola Zaire strain, which caused Congo’s devastating 2018–2020 epidemic that killed more than 1,000 people.
EBOLA OUTBREAK REPORTED IN AFRICAN COUNTRY — HERE’S WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW
Health workers wearing protective suits tend to an Ebola victim in an isolation tent in Beni, Congo, on July 13, 2019. (Jerome Delay/AP)
However, unlike Ebola-Zaire strains, there are currently no approved vaccines or therapeutics for the Bundibugyo strain, which the WHO described as making the outbreak “extraordinary.”
The WHO warned the outbreak could be larger than currently reported due to the high positivity rate among initial samples and the growing number of suspected cases.
The outbreak also poses a public health risk to other countries, the WHO said, urging nations to activate emergency-management systems and implement cross-border screening measures.
‘DISEASE X’ HAS KILLED DOZENS IN THE CONGO — HERE’S WHAT TO KNOW ABOUT THE MYSTERY ILLNESS
Ambulances parked at Bunia General Referral Hospital following confirmation of an Ebola outbreak involving the Bundibugyo strain in Bunia, Ituri province, Democratic Republic of Congo, May 16, 2026. (REUTERS/Victoire Mukenge)
Ebola is a highly contagious and often fatal disease spread through bodily fluids, including blood, vomit and semen. Symptoms can include fever, vomiting, diarrhea, muscle pain and internal bleeding.
WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus recently said Congo has a “strong track record” responding to Ebola outbreaks while announcing the release of $500,000 in emergency funding to support containment efforts.
The WHO said it will convene an emergency committee to review recommendations for how affected countries should respond.
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Health workers dressed in protective gear begin their shift at an Ebola treatment center in Beni, Congo, on July 16, 2019. (Jerome Delay/AP)
The organization did not recommend border closures or travel restrictions.
Congo has now recorded 17 Ebola outbreaks since the virus was first identified in the country in 1976.
Fox News Digital’s Jasmine Baehr and Brittany Miller, along with Reuters, contributed to this report.
Iran to reveal its plan for Strait of Hormuz soon as Israel attacks Lebanon and Gaza, killing and wounding dozens.
Published On 17 May 2026
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