Handing Sinwar body absolutely not part of deal, Israeli officials say

By Al Mayadeen English
Source: Israeli media
14 Jan 2025 08:44

Israeli officials have firmly ruled out the possibility of including the body of martyred Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar in any potential prisoner exchange deal.

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The leader of Hamas in the Gaza Strip, Yahya Sinwar, waves as he arrives for a meeting with the Palestinian Authority's prime minister and other officials in Gaza City on October 2, 2017. (AFP)

Israeli diplomatic reporters have received a statement, to be attributed to an Israeli official, affirming that "Israel" will not return the body of martyred Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar as part of any hostage deal.

“It will not happen. Period,” the statement declared.

This comes following unconfirmed reports that Hamas is demanding to be handed Sinwar's body in the initial phase of the ceasefire negotiations.

Sinwar's martyrdom

Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar, who became the leader of the movement's Political Bureau in August following the assassination of former leader Ismail Haniyeh, was martyred on October 18 during confrontations with Israeli occupation forces.

Sinwar, contrary to the Israeli claims that he was hiding in tunnels and using captives as human shields, was in a house with several other fighters, himself donning military attire, including a vest, grenades, ammunition, and an assault rifle.

He was confronting Israeli forces in Rafah's Tal al-Sultan refugee camp, firing at them, engaging them, and tossing grenades at them to halt their advance. As he succeeded, the Israeli occupation forces backed away and fired a tank shell at the house he was sheltering himself in as part of the ongoing confrontation.

They then sent a drone to inspect the area, and he could be seen severely wounded, covered in dust, and donning the Palestinian koufiyyeh to conceal his identity. With nothing but a stick in hand, sitting on a sofa, he attempted to throw it at the Israeli drone, which then backed away before the house he was in was bombarded once again, leading to his martyrdom. He died as a warrior, holding on until the very last breath.

Hamas says keen on reaching Gaza ceasefire deal

Meanwhile, the Islamic Resistance Movement, Hamas, affirmed on Monday it is keen on reaching a Gaza ceasefire deal.

In a statement, the Palestinian group confirmed that indirect negotiations, mediated by Qatar and Egypt, regarding reaching a deal that would end the Israeli war on Gaza and complete a prisoner exchange with "Israel", are progressing well.

Hamas also announced that a senior delegation, led by Chairman of the Leadership Council Mohammad Darwish, met with Qatar’s Emir, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, to discuss the latest developments in efforts to reach a ceasefire agreement in the Gaza Strip.

The statement highlighted that during the meeting, progress achieved in recent days in Doha was reviewed, with Hamas affirming that it is approaching these efforts and developments in a positive manner.

Earlier on Monday, a Palestinian official told Al Mayadeen that Hamas and "Israel" are nearing an agreement on a ceasefire and a prisoner exchange after overcoming most obstacles.

Hamas has consistently maintained that any deal must result in a permanent end to the war and the withdrawal of Israeli occupation forces from Gaza, while "Israel" has firmly stated it will not cease its war until the Palestinian group is dismantled.