Baskin: ‘The present situation is a moment of either opportunity or doom.’
By Vered Weiss, World Israel News
Hostage negotiator Gershon Baskin told the Telegraph Hamas leader and October 7th mastermind Yahya Sinwar might have told Hamas terrorists to execute remaining hostages if he was killed.
Baskin, who assisted with 2011 negotiations for the release of IDF soldier Gilad Shalit in exchange for Yahya Sinwar and 1,026 other Palestinian prisoners, said there are rumors that Sinwar might have left these orders and believes it could be the case based on Hamas’s execution of six hostages in August.
Hersh Goldberg-Polin, Ori Danino, Eden Yerushalmi, Almog Sarusi, Alexander Lobanov, and Carmel Gat were executed by their captors, sensing the approach of IDF soldiers a few days earlier.
In addition, Baskin pointed out that after the death of Yahya Sinwar, his brother, Mohammed, is likely in charge of the remaining hostages.
Baskin describes the situation after the killing of Yahya Sinwar as “a moment of either opportunity or doom,” depending on whether the report that the Hamas leader left instructions on the fate of the hostages is accurate or not.
Following news of Yahya Sinwar’s death, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu offered safe passage for any Gazan who handed over the remaining hostages.
Baskin recommended a new ceasefire and hostage release agreement and said it would require the US to put pressure on Israel for compliance.
“It’s a moment of opportunity where Israel should be issuing a very clear call that anyone who’s holding a hostage that releases them will be given free passage for themselves and their family out of Gaza to another country, as well as a lot of money,” he told The Telegraph.
Baskin said the US has significant leverage to apply on Israel, but was uncertain whether they would use it.
In his address following Yahya Sinwar’s demise, Netanyahu clearly stated that the war is not over.
He said, “Today, evil suffered a heavy blow, but our mission is not yet completed.”
“The war, the war, my dear ones, is not yet finished,” he continued, quoting King David: “I will pursue my enemies and destroy them. And I will not turn back until they are wiped out.”