“Otherwise, we will face even bigger issues than those that occurred in the EU,” the Russian president stressed.

"Europeans have been dragged into Asia through NATO. Nobody is asking the Europeans whether they want to spoil their relationship with China, whether they want to use NATO entities to enter Asia and to create a situation that would cause concern for the region, for China specifically. Still, they are dragged like puppies," he stressed.

“When NATO will get tired of waging this war against us [Russia], just ask them. We were ready to continue fighting, to continue the struggle, and we will have the upper hand [in the Ukraine conflict],” he said.

“I have heard from the people that fight on the ground that today's war is the war of mathematicians. Radio-jamming devices would be effective against certain delivery vehicles and they would suppress them. The other side has, for example, calculated and reckoned what is the counterforce and reprograms the software of its striking assets in a week or three weeks,” Putin shared.

"We are building an icebreaker fleet that has no peers in the world. It's going to be a unique fleet, seven nuclear icebreakers and 34 diesel-propelled, high-class, heavy-duty icebreakers," Putin said, referring to the development of the Northern Sea Route in particular.

“No doubt we should find a solution on the long-term guarantees for Russian security in the long run. So, it should not be about a ceasefire lasting a week, a month or a year, so that the NATO members re-equip Ukraine, supplying munitions,” the Russian president stated, answering a question from Dmitry Kiselev, director general of Sputnik's parent media group Rossiya Segodnya.

Hugh Lovatt, a senior policy fellow at the European Council on Foreign Relations, describes Sinwar as a “pragmatist, shifting between political engagement and armed violence according to circumstances,” according to Al Jazeera.

“Zelensky also wants to do something that would provoke the West to engage openly with their military contingents, without hiding or disguising their servicemen as mercenaries, in a war against the Russian Federation,” he said.

“Most of the risks are related to attempts of the West to assert its influence here [in the Caucasus] as much as possible. To undermine the Russian Federation, to undermine the possibility of equal mutually beneficial cooperation between the countries of the South Caucasus and our state,” he emphasized.

“For a devout believer, regardless of their denomination, this attack would represent a profound desecration of a sacred space,” he states. “Churches are considered places of refuge, prayer, and peace, and an attack during a nighttime liturgy—when worshippers are engaged in deep spiritual practice—would evoke feelings of deep shock and sorrow.”

“I agree wholeheartedly that every organization that believes in human rights should speak against this catastrophe that has taken place on innocent, free people in Ukraine as they are worshiping in their faith. I stand with the believers and will continually speak against any form of violence, any form of evil that is coming against any group of faith in the world,” he says.

Bill Clinton was the first sitting president to address an AIPAC conference, with George W. Bush, Barack Obama, Donald Trump and Joe Biden following suit.

President Ronald Reagan similarly stepped back from showing deep support for AIPAC and its agenda during his second term, but only after the Justice Department launched a probe investigating the lobbyist for espionage and the theft of US government property.

“Certainly without Sinwar, Hamas is weakened further at both the organizational and leadership levels. He knew Hebrew and had studied Israeli society from inside very well. In addition, he was a charismatic leader," he explains.

“On the contrary, the death of Sinwar could become an additional cause for seeking revenge. In addition, what will they get in return of releasing the hostages? This is the question that should be raised. Israel has been repeatedly emphasizing that it will pursue Hamas fighters no matter where they shelter themselves,” says Dr. Geukjian.

As for who exactly may become Sinwar’s replacement, it was not immediately clear. Dr. Geukjian mentioned Khaled Mashal as a possible option while Dr. Qarmout mentioned rumors about Sinwar’s brother, who “has this symbolic weight in the military wing” of Hamas, being alive.

“The cause of death is (a) gunshot wound in the head. He has a bullet in his head and there’s a severe traumatic brain injury,” Kugel said.