By An Israeli official has claimed that Israel offered to ensure the safe exit of Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar from Gaza in exchange for the release of remaining hostages, a proposal that could significantly shift the dynamics of the ongoing conflict.
Gal Hirsch, Israel’s coordinator for hostages and the missing, told Bloomberg that the offer was made earlier this week during tense ceasefire negotiations with Hamas.
“I’m ready to provide safe passage to Sinwar, his family, whoever wants to join him,” Hirsch stated. “We want the hostages back. We want demilitarization, de-radicalization of course — a new system that will manage Gaza.”
This revelation follows similar comments Hirsch made in a CNN interview on Sunday, where he referred to Sinwar as “the new Hitler” but indicated Israel’s willingness to facilitate his departure from Gaza.
The proposal, if confirmed, marks a significant development in Israel’s approach to ending the conflict that began with Hamas’s October 7 attack. It potentially offers a way out for Sinwar, who is considered the mastermind behind that assault.
However, it remains unclear whether Hamas has responded to this offer. The group’s negotiation team met with Egyptian and Qatari mediators on Wednesday, but no official statement has been made regarding this specific proposal.
Hamas previously stated it is not open to accepting new conditions in the ceasefire negotiations, specifically referencing Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s insistence that the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) maintain control of the Philadelphi Route along the Gaza-Egypt border.
Interestingly, reports last month suggested that Sinwar himself had proposed a similar idea, claiming that a ceasefire deal would be possible if Israel could guarantee his safety.
The offer of safe passage for Sinwar appears to contradict the IDF’s repeated vows to hunt down and eliminate the Hamas leader. Sinwar was last reported to have been seen fleeing through Gaza’s tunnel network with his family on October 10, just days after the initial attack on Israel.
This development comes amid ongoing international pressure for a ceasefire and the release of all hostages. The conflict has resulted in thousands of casualties on both sides and a dire humanitarian crisis in Gaza.
As negotiations continue, the international community watches closely to see if this unconventional offer could lead to a breakthrough in the hostage situation and potentially pave the way for an end to the current phase of the conflict.
The Israeli government has not officially confirmed this offer, and it remains to be seen how such a proposal would be received by the Israeli public and the international community, given Sinwar’s role in the October 7 attacks.
