Yahya Sinwar is one of Israel's most wanted men. (Credit: Mahmoud Hams/AFP archives)
After killing several Hamas leaders, including the commander of the group’s military wing, Mohammad Deif, according to the Israeli army, Israeli officials are reportedly considering the possibility of exiling Yahya Sinwar, the head of the organization, to Sudan, Haaretz reported.
Such a decision would bring Israel closer to its primary goal of "dismantling" Hamas and would facilitate the release of the approximately 50 hostages still alive and held in Gaza, according to the Israeli government. This possibility was first mentioned by Benjamin Netanyahu in an interview in May with American journalist Dan Senor for his podcast "Call Me Back," according to Haaretz.
"The idea of exile is there. We’ve done it before, and we can always discuss it, but I think the most important thing is surrender," Netanyahu stated.
The option appears to have gained traction in late September when Gal Hirsch, head of the Israeli association for the return of hostages and missing persons, submitted a new proposal to the Biden administration for a deal with Hamas. It involved ending the fighting in Gaza in exchange for the release of all hostages. Israel would also agree that the Hamas leader, his family, and thousands of fighters of his choice could go into exile in a third country and be guaranteed safe passage out of Gaza. Israel would adopt this plan if "Hamas signaled a willingness to move forward," Haaretz suggested.
The report also mentions that these developments could involve unfreezing Hamas assets that were blocked by Khartoum three years ago, following the U.S.' removal of Sudan from its list of state sponsors of terrorism in the wake of Sudan’s normalization of relations with Israel in February 2023 (though the agreement is still awaiting ratification).
"He has disappeared"
However, the message may be difficult to reach Sinwar, who is still hiding in Gaza's underground tunnels with limited communication options, according to the Israeli army’s suspicions. Israeli Channel 12 reported on Sunday that families of hostages met with Qatari officials involved in negotiation efforts last week. They were informed that Sinwar "has disappeared and stopped communicating by phone due to the assassinations" carried out by Israel against Hamas and Hezbollah leaders in Lebanon.
The new head of Hamas' political bureau, considered the mastermind behind the "Al-Aqsa Flood" operation and more radical than his predecessor Ismail Haniyeh, who was assassinated in Tehran on July 31, now only communicates via handwritten letters, according to the New York Times.
"He stopped using electronic devices long ago and remains in contact with his organization through a network of couriers," the article stated, resulting in significant delays in his messages.
There is no indication that Sinwar will accept the exile scenario... Nor that Sudan would agree to host him. According to U.S. officials cited by the NYT, the Hamas leader has no intention of reaching an agreement with Israel and remains "determined to see Israel drawn into a larger regional conflict." Although the pace of military operations in Gaza has slowed in favor of the Lebanese front, Israel continues to carry out daily airstrikes in the area. Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant stated in August that the army had come close to Sinwar’s position.
"When we entered the tunnels under Rafah, where the (six) hostages were killed, we found signs of Sinwar’s previous presence at Tall Sultan," Gallant recently reiterated to journalists.
Some Israeli officials are also questioning whether the Hamas leader is still alive, the American daily notes. His last known communication was a letter of support for Hassan Nasrallah, made public by Hezbollah on Sept. 13. According to the NYT, some officials from the Palestinian group suggested it may have been written outside Gaza by someone else, with Sinwar’s approval.
"It wasn’t handwritten, unlike other communications that were verified to have come directly from him," the article added.
