Israeli Official: We Could Offer Hamas Leader Safe Passage

Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar, architect of the October 7 attack on Israel, could be granted a safe exit out of Gaza in exchange for Hamas relinquishing control of the Gaza Strip and releasing the 101 hostages it still holds, an Israeli official says. "I'm ready to provide safe passage to Sinwar, his family, whoever wants to join him," Gal Hirsch, Israel's coordinator for hostages and the missing, tells Bloomberg (paywall). "We want the hostages back. We want demilitarization, deradicalization of course—a new system that will manage Gaza." Hirsch said much the same thing in a separate interview with CNN.

If all the hostages are released and Gaza is "demilitarized and deradicalized," Hirsch says, "I even believe that we will agree to build safe passage to the chief terrorist, the new Hitler, Sinwar—safe passage to him and whoever he wants to join him out of Gaza." He says the offer, which he sees as a way to end the war, was put on the table by Israel recently, but did not say whether there was any response from Hamas. Hirsch also said Israel would be open to releasing prisoners it holds as part of any such deal. Sinwar has not been seen in public since the October attack, and is believed to be in the system of tunnels underneath Gaza. (More Yahya Sinwar stories.)