The Wall Street Journal has revealed that Yahya Al-Sinwar, the Head of the Political Bureau of the Islamic Resistance Movement “Hamas,” declined an Egyptian offer to leave the Gaza Strip. Al-Sinwar, who was martyred in the southern part of Gaza during an armed clash with the Israeli occupation forces last week, stood firm against the proposal.
According to the report, Cairo presented this offer to Al-Sinwar at the onset of the Israeli aggression on Gaza, suggesting that he exit the Strip in exchange for Egypt negotiating the release of prisoners on behalf of Hamas. However, Al-Sinwar rejected the offer outright.
During ceasefire negotiations, Al-Sinwar asserted to the mediators, “I am not under siege; I am on Palestinian land.”
The Wall Street Journal cited intermediaries who disclosed that Al-Sinwar had instructed Hamas to appoint a leadership council to manage and lead the transitional period following his potential martyrdom. This was after he prepared himself for the possibility of death, especially following the assassination of Hezbollah’s Secretary General, Hassan Nasrallah, in Beirut’s southern suburbs on September 27th.
Al-Sinwar conveyed to Hamas members that Israel would likely make concessions to end the conflict after his martyrdom, as per the newspaper.
Arab mediators familiar with Al-Sinwar’s messages stated that he had expressed, “In negotiations with Israel, Hamas will be in a stronger position.”
For a full year, the Israeli occupation forces were unable to locate Al-Sinwar in Gaza. According to the Wall Street Journal, he was hopeful that the conflict he ignited would draw Iran and Hezbollah into a regional war against Israel.
On Friday, Khalil Al-Hayya, a member of Hamas’ Political Bureau, officially confirmed the martyrdom of Yahya Al-Sinwar following a confrontation with the Israeli army in Rafah.
This announcement followed the statements by Israeli officials, including Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, on Thursday evening, acknowledging Al-Sinwar’s martyrdom. Despite a year of relentless aggression, the Israeli occupation failed to capture or kill him within Gaza.
Numerous political forces across the Arab world, as well as resistance movements, including Hezbollah in Lebanon and the Ansar Allah “Houthis” in Yemen, mourned the loss of Hamas’ political leader, Yahya Al-Sinwar. He was considered the mastermind behind the “Al-Aqsa Flood” operation, which inflicted historic losses on the occupation on October 7th, 2023.
It is worth noting that on August 6th, Hamas announced the selection of Al-Sinwar as the head of its political bureau, succeeding the martyred Ismail Haniyeh. Haniyeh was assassinated by the Israeli occupation while staying in Tehran, Iran’s capital, during a visit at the end of July.
