Israel might let Hamas leaders live in exile – media — RT World News

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's government has reportedly floated the idea of ​​exiling some Hamas leaders to other countries in the Middle East to help end the war in Gaza and pave the way for a new ruling authority in the Palestinian Strip.

The proposal calls for allowing senior Hamas officials in Gaza — including political leader Yahya Sinwar and military commander Mohammed Deif — to move to another country, such as Algeria, Qatar or Saudi Arabia. Traffic lights This was reported on Tuesday, citing people familiar with the discussions held by Israeli and American officials. The militant leaders who planned the October 7 attacks that sparked the current war will be among those allowed to flee into exile.

Semafor said some Israeli officials see the plan as a way to help convince Hamas to release its remaining hostages in Gaza, lay down arms and hand over administration of the Palestinian territories to a new leadership. This peace agreement may accelerate a US-brokered agreement under which Saudi Arabia will establish diplomatic relations with Israel.

John Hanna, a former White House aide under President George W. Bush, told Semaphore that ending the war quickly would open the door to normalizing relations between Riyadh and West Jerusalem, and thus countering Iran's influence in the region. He called for an Israeli-Saudi deal “A major American goal” He said he discussed Hamas' denial plan with senior officials in Washington and Israel in recent weeks.

The strategy of allowing Hamas leaders to go into exile may be similar to the 1982 initiative under which the PLO under Yasser Arafat moved its headquarters to Tunisia after it was besieged by Israeli forces in Lebanon. However, even if a country was found willing to provide safe haven, Semaphore said Hamas leaders were unlikely to accept such an offer.

“Hamas men in Gaza will not leave” A senior Arab official told the media that they might prefer to die as martyrs. Moreover, Hamas leaders know that the Israelis may eventually hunt them down and kill them wherever they take refuge. Mossad chief David Barnea vowed earlier this month to take revenge on everyone who participated in the October 7 attacks. “Wherever they are.”

Nearly 27,000 Gazans have been killed since the war began, according to Palestinian health officials. Hamas attacks on October 7 killed more than 1,100 people in Israel, and hundreds more were transferred to Gaza as hostages. Most of the casualties on both sides were civilians.