Hamas weighs moving senior officials out of Gaza – report

A number of prominent Hamas officials are making arrangements for a coordinated “safe exit” from Gaza.

By World Israel News Staff

Sources in Hamas say the group is quietly weighing a dramatic step it has long rejected publicly: allowing some of its senior figures to leave the Gaza Strip as talks move toward the next phase of the ceasefire process.

The report, published by the Saudi newspaper Asharq Al-Awsat and cited in Israel by Walla, claims that a number of prominent Hamas political and military officials in Gaza are making arrangements for what was described as a coordinated “safe exit” from the enclave.

One Hamas-linked source told the paper the move would be voluntary and carried out under specific understandings, with full coordination from Hamas’ external leadership.

At the same time, the report says there is resistance inside the organization. According to another source, several commanders, particularly within Hamas’ military wing, are refusing to leave Gaza under any circumstances.

If confirmed, the preparations would represent a sharp contrast to Hamas’ repeated messaging throughout the war, during which senior officials insisted the group’s leadership would not be removed from the Strip.

Asharq Al-Awsat said it received names of individuals who may be included in the departure arrangements but withheld them because it could not independently reach them.

The report also described internal reshuffling within Hamas’ Gaza leadership, including new appointments to the group’s political bureau as part of a reorganization process attributed to senior Hamas figure Ali al-Amoudi.

In addition, the paper claimed that some Hamas terrorists who were freed in the 2011 Gilad Shalit prisoner exchange and later rose into senior leadership roles are expected to relocate to Turkey.

A Hamas official based outside Gaza denied the report, saying, “The issue was not raised at all.”

Sources cited in the report offered differing assessments of what an exit would mean in practice. Some said it would be a long-term departure lasting several years, with Hamas leaders dispersing across multiple countries.

Others suggested the travel could be temporary, tied to meetings in Egypt with security officials over future arrangements related to governance and security forces in Gaza, after which the officials would return.

Asharq Al-Awsat also referenced comments by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in a Fox News interview in late September, in which he said Israel was considering allowing safe passage for Hamas leaders who choose to leave Gaza, under certain conditions.

The report comes as discussions continue over a potential second phase of the ceasefire process, with Hamas claiming it has met the requirements to move forward.

The proposed next steps could include Hamas relinquishing control of Gaza, the establishment of a Palestinian technocratic committee to administer the territory, and the start of a disarmament process.