Israeli negotiator offers ‘safe passage’ to Sinwar and his family in exchange for hostages – report

“The clock is ticking, the hostages do not have time.” 

By Vered Weiss, World Israel News

Gal Hirsch, Israel’s chief negotiator for hostages and missing persons, is reportedly offering safe passage to Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar in exchange for the remaining 101 hostages.

In an interview with Bloomberg, Hirsch said, “I’m ready to provide safe passage to Sinwar, his family, whoever wants to join him. We want the hostages back. We want demilitarization, de-radicalization of course — a new system that will manage Gaza,” he stated.

According to the report, the proposal has been under consideration for several days.

“In parallel, I must work on plans B, C, and D because I must bring the hostages back home. The clock is ticking; the hostages do not have time,” Hirsch added.

In a Telegram post, the spokesperson for Hamas’ armed wing, the al-Qassam Brigades, Abu Obaida wrote, “Netanyahu’s insistence on liberating the prisoners through military pressure instead of concluding a deal will mean that they will return to their families inside coffins and their families will have to choose whether they are dead or alive.”

Referring to the IDF rescue of four hostages in Nuseirat in June, he added, “Let it be clear to everyone that, following the incident in Nuseirat, new instructions have been issued to the Mujahideen tasked with guarding the prisoners.”

An IDF investigation into the killing of six captives whose remains were recovered from Gaza ten days ago has shed light on the conditions the six hostages faced before their captors murdered them.

New evidence shows that the hostages were likely murdered hours before the IDF found them in the tunnel, and there is also some indication that they fought back against their captors.

The tunnel was so narrow they could barely stand up, and no more than two could lie down at a time.

There was also very little air, and the ventilation was so poor that many of the hostages likely had trouble breathing.

The tunnel had no toilets or showers, and the hostages had to use bottles of water to bathe themselves, which were also used for drinking.