The bodies of Hamas military leaders Yahya Sinwar and his brother Mohammad — reportedly requested by Hamas as part of a hostage release agreement — will not be included in the deal announced overnight by U.S. President Donald Trump, an Israeli official familiar with the matter told CNN on Thursday.
Meanwhile, senior Hamas figure Osama Hamdan said in an interview with Qatari broadcaster Al Araby that hostages will not be released until an "official declaration of the end of the war in Gaza" is made.
“The central point that allowed us to enter this agreement is that it ends the war. That must be officially announced. This is not just Hamas’ position — it is written in the agreement and signed by Israel. This is not a ceasefire — this is an end to the war,” he said.
A Palestinian source familiar with the negotiations told Ynet Thursday morning that the Israeli delegation in Sharm el-Sheikh has yet to finalize the list of Palestinian prisoners to be released. “The final list is not yet known, and negotiations are ongoing until the last moment,” the source said. Discussions reportedly continue over the potential inclusion of Marwan Barghouti, whom Hamas insists must be part of the deal.
Senior Hamas official Mahmoud Mardawi accused Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of trying to derail the agreement before its implementation by “backtracking on the prisoner list.” A Hamas spokesperson told Al Jazeera that Israel “is playing with the timeline and the lists” and called on mediators to pressure Israel to meet its commitments.
Hamas officials maintain that the agreement is meant as the beginning of the end of the war in Gaza. However, they say Israel is "rushing and evading" key issues such as troop withdrawals, prisoner names and the return of displaced persons. Israeli officials have not publicly responded to these claims.
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(Photo: REUTERS/Kent Nishimura, AP, REUTERS/Nir Elias, REUTERS/Evelyn Hockstein, Omar AL-QATTAA / AFP, REUTERS/Ronen Zvulun)
Meanwhile, Israeli authorities continue preparations for the release of Palestinian prisoners, including plans for the mass deportation of life-sentence inmates and convicted killers to third countries. According to security officials, under the terms of the agreement, those prisoners “with blood on their hands” will not remain in Israeli territory but will be expelled abroad.
In previous cases, most were deported to Turkey or Qatar — destinations likely to be used again, though final arrangements have yet to be confirmed. Malaysia and Pakistan have expressed willingness in the past to accept deportees, but those plans were never realized.
The issue is considered highly sensitive and is being managed closely by the Shin Bet security agency. Additionally, no released killers will be allowed to return to the West Bank to avoid a resurgence of terror activity in Palestinian Authority areas.
Due to the high number of prisoners involved in this deal, a wide diplomatic effort is underway to secure additional countries willing to receive deportees. The Mossad intelligence agency is also involved, given the need to coordinate with states with which Israel lacks formal diplomatic ties.
Israeli officials emphasize that the question of deportation will ultimately be brought before the Cabinet and government for approval. The working assumption is that, as in previous agreements, life-sentence prisoners and convicted murderers will be deported and barred from remaining in Israeli or Palestinian-controlled areas. While the destinations have not been officially determined, officials expect they will mirror past arrangements.