The National newspaper has revealed a message sent by Hamas’ political leader, Yahya Al-Sinwar, to Egyptian mediators outlining the movement’s demands for a prisoner exchange deal, as part of an agreement leading to a ceasefire in Gaza.
According to sources cited by the newspaper, Al-Sinwar insists on the complete withdrawal of Israeli forces from Gaza, along with the release of prominent Palestinian prisoners with long sentences.
The newspaper described Al-Sinwar’s message as firm, claiming he strongly opposed the idea of the Palestinian Authority managing Gaza after the war.
The message also stated that Al-Sinwar rejected the deployment of a multinational force in Gaza post-war to maintain security until legislative and presidential elections are held.
One source mentioned, “For Yahya Al-Sinwar, the release of Palestinian prisoners is a top priority.”
The source added, “Al-Sinwar wants to see Marwan Barghouti and Ahmed Sa’adat released, and he will not compromise on this.”
The newspaper noted that Al-Sinwar’s message was delivered to Egyptian mediators through Khalil Al-Hayya, a senior Hamas leader who also spoke on his behalf during months of negotiations between Hamas and Israel, facilitated by mediators from the U.S., Egypt, and Qatar.
Hamas recently announced the election of Yahya Al-Sinwar as the head of its political bureau, succeeding the late Ismail Haniyeh.
Hamas leader Osama Hamdan stated that Al-Sinwar was unanimously chosen, indicating the movement’s awareness of the current stage. He emphasized that negotiations were led with Al-Sinwar’s constant presence.
Hamdan added that Hamas’ message is clear: they chose someone who has been actively leading the fight on the ground in Gaza for over 300 days.
He further noted that Al-Sinwar’s unanimous election as leader reflects the movement’s vitality.
Hamdan mentioned that it is too early to predict the outcome of the negotiations, but the team that followed the process under Haniyeh will continue under Al-Sinwar.
He confirmed that Yahya Al-Sinwar is widely accepted within the movement and enjoys unanimous support.
The Israeli occupation forces assassinated the elected Palestinian Prime Minister Ismail Haniyeh in an airstrike on his residence in Tehran, following his participation in the inauguration of Iranian President Masoud Bezhkian.
