Hamas and Israel are reportedly on the cusp of agreeing a prisoner exchange deal to bring the 15-month war on Gaza to an end [Getty]
Israel will not hand over the body of deceased Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar as part of any ceasefire agreement to end the devastating war in Gaza.
Hamas is pressing for the release of the body of its former leader during the first phase of a prisoner exchange deal being negotiated in Qatar, Al Arabiya reported Tuesday – a demand that was quickly dismissed by the Israeli government.
“It will not happen, period,” a government source was quoted as saying by Israeli media.
Sinwar was killed in battle with Israeli forces in Gaza in October.
The report comes amid rising speculation that the two sides may be on the cusp of reaching an agreement to end the 15-month war ahead of US President-elect Donald Trump’s inauguration next week.
Mediators reportedly handed Hamas and Israel a final draft of a deal on Monday ahead of further talks on Tuesday, which are being attended by officials in the Biden administration and the incoming Trump team.
Disagreements over the release of Palestinian prisoners in Israel and Israeli captives held by Hamas in Gaza have been a key roadblock to ending the war.
Israel holds thousands of Palestinians in indefinite detention while 94 of the 251 captives taken by Hamas at the start of the war are thought to remain in Gaza.
The Palestinian militant group handed over 105 civilians and Israel released 240 prisoners, mainly women and children, during a short-lived ceasefire in November 2023.
Under the first phase of the truce, Hamas is expected to free 33 Israelis in return for the release of hundreds of Palestinian prisoners. The remaining Israelis will be freed over a subsequent two phases, the details of which still need to be negotiated.
Israel is pushing for the deportation of an unknown number of Palestinian detainees – including high-profile prisoners such as Marwan Barghouti – as well as Sinwar’s brother Mohammed from Gaza, according to Al Arabiya.
Hamas has demanded that Israel release Barghouti – seen by many as a potential future Palestinian leader – as part of the deal.
Israel has agreed to improve the prison conditions for Palestinian detainees, which have sharply deteriorated under the extremist National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir, according to the Saudi outlet.
Israel has killed more than 46,600 Palestinians since launching its attack on the strip on 7 October, an offensive which UN officials and international human rights monitors say amounts to genocide.
