Hamas will not accept Israeli safe passage offer for Sinwar, source says

Group insists leader is not considering leaving Gaza under any deal

Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar was one of the masterminds of the October 7 attacks and is thought to be living in a network of tunnels under Gaza. AFP

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Hamas will not accept an Israeli offer of safe passage out of Gaza for its leader Yahya Sinwar in return for Israeli hostages held in the enclave, a senior source in the group told The National on Thursday.

When asked if the group would consider the proposal, the Hamas source said: "Certainly not. Brother Sinwar and Hamas will not accept it.

"It is not the nature of our leaders to be selfish, to give in for personal interests, or to flee. We will not accept anything less than an honourable exchange deal. Whether by deal or otherwise, brother Sinwar is not thinking of leaving Gaza."

Israeli hostage envoy Gal Hirsch told Bloomberg on Tuesday he was ready "to provide safe passage to Sinwar, his family, whoever wants to join him". Mr Hirsch declined to comment on whether Hamas had responded to the offer. He said Israel would be willing to release Palestinian detainees it holds as part of any deal.

“We want the hostages back. We want demilitarisation, deradicalisation of course – a new system that will manage Gaza,” he said.

An Israeli official told The National the offer had been on the table for at least two days. It is seen as a major concession by Israel to revive ceasefire negotiations.

Mr Sinwar is believed to be in Hamas’s vast tunnel network under Gaza. Allowing his exit calls into question one of Israel’s main war aims – the destruction of Hamas and its leadership, which Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has consistently vowed to achieve despite international pressure over the war's civilian toll. There is also mounting public anger in Israel based on the belief that his hardline approach is endangering the hostages, with regular protests taking place, some violent.

Israel could yet set its sights on Mr Sinwar were he to accept safe passage to another territory. The Israeli Prime Minister’s office, which Mr Hirsch is a part of, did not immediately respond to questions on this matter, but Israel has a long history of assassinating enemies abroad, most recently Hamas political leader Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran.

Mr Hirsch said the idea for safe passage was floated in a bid to save the ceasefire negotiation process, which he said was starting to “look more and more dim".

"The clock is ticking. The hostages do not have time,” he said. Political sources close to Hamas, however, said they expected a new US plan for a Gaza ceasefire deal to be presented within the next 48 hours.

Six Israeli hostages were killed at the end of August, which sparked widespread protests in Israel. AFP

Six Israeli captives were found dead at the end of August, re-energising the protest movement calling for a hostage deal and adding to belief that Mr Netanyahu’s approach is endangering the lives of captives. A minister in Mr Netanyahu’s government and Likud party told Israeli media on Thursday there was “no doubt” military pressure was putting the hostages at risk, but that it was the only way to secure an acceptable deal for Israel.

About 250 people in Israel were abducted on October 7 and taken into Gaza, where 97 remain, many presumed dead, Israel says. Some were released as part of a hostage deal at the end of last year. Only eight living hostages have been rescued in military operations.

Israel has been fighting in Gaza for almost a year after Hamas launched its attack on the country's south that killed about 1,200 people. The death toll from the war in Gaza stands at more than 41,100, with almost 100,000 injured, the enclave's health authorities say.