Haaretz: Israel considers voluntary exile of Sinwar and senior Hamas leaders in the Gaza Strip to an Arab country

Israeli press report revealed that Israel may allow Yahya Sinwar and the remaining Hamas leaders to leave the Gaza Strip to Sudan as part of a prisoner exchange deal.

Sources told the Israeli Haaretz newspaper that such a plan could include unfreezing Hamas assets that the Sudanese government froze about three years ago.

According to Haaretz, “What makes this plan more complicated is that Sudan is currently experiencing a war, and therefore no one can guarantee that Hamas leaders will fulfill their promises”.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is said to be not insisting on eliminating Sinwar and other Hamas leaders, nor ruling out the possibility of expelling them to a third country as part of an agreement to end the war.

In an interview with American journalist Dan Senor last May, Netanyahu noted that “this war could end tomorrow if Hamas laid down its weapons, surrendered and returned the hostages… The idea of ​​denial exists, and it can always be discussed”.

Israeli sources told Haaretz last month that the Israeli government might allow Sinwar, his family and thousands of Hamas fighters of his choosing to leave the Gaza Strip.

The source pointed out that if the plan is implemented, it won’t be officially called a denial or surrender… This would allow Israel to end the war and allow Sinwar to continue leading the movement, despite the weakness of his direct influence over the Gaza Strip”.

According to Haaretz, “Israel hopes that Sinwar will prefer to leave Gaza and go to a third country rather than die in the Strip… This will give him a chance in the future to restore the organizational structures and then return to Gaza… On the other hand, Israel will have enough time to track him down and eliminate him”.

Erlier, the New York Times reported, quoting US officials, that Sinwar won’t agree to a deal with Israel, whatever its terms.

According to Haaretz, “It’s alleged that he doesn’t hope to survive the current confrontation… He has only one hope that Israel will get involved in a major regional war and withdraw most of its forces from the Gaza Strip”.