By The Jerusalem Post (World News) | Created at 2024-10-06 06:30:12 | Updated at 2024-10-06 08:23:34
2 hours ago
Qatari officials told hostage families that Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar was no longer communicating with mediators and is believed to have surrounded himself with surviving hostages.
By JERUSALEM POST STAFF OCTOBER 6, 2024 09:11 Updated: OCTOBER 6, 2024 09:18
A pro-Palestinian protester holds up a portrait of Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar outside of a campaign event for Democratic presidential candidate and U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris in New York City, U.S., August 14, 2024.
(photo credit: REUTERS/DAVID 'DEE' DELGADO)
Hamas's chief Yahya Sinwar has disappeared and is no longer communicating with Qatari mediators, Qatari officials involved in the hostage deal negotiations told hostages' families last week, according to an exclusive N12 report on Sunday.
The officials also told the families that they believed Sinwar surrounded himself with hostages.
"Sinwar is currently not communicating with us. He has disappeared for us too and has not made contact," the officials were cited as saying by the Israeli news outlet, adding that due to the eliminations, Sinwar had ceased to communicate via phones.
No evidence that Sinwar is dead, Qataris say
At present, Sinwar is communicating through "paper and pen," officials reportedly claimed, adding that there was no evidence that the Hamas leader was killed.
The Qatari officials also claimed that Israel's elimination of Hamas leadership had made a hostage-ceasefire deal more challenging.
"Israel adopted a policy of eliminations that worsened the deal," the officials reportedly said, adding that "In the past, there was [Hamas's political bureau chief Ismail] Haniyeh, and he was eliminated. Now there is Khaled Mashaal, and he is much more difficult, Haniyeh."
Haniyeh was killed in July during a visit to Tehran. Israel has not claimed responsibility for his death.
