Israel's spy chief proposes Hamas leaders leave Gaza as part of broader ceasefire talks
Israel has proposed that high-ranking Hamas leaders should relocate from Gaza as a component of a more extensive ceasefire arrangement, according to two officials knowledgeable about the ongoing international talks, as reported by CNN.
Though it would give safe passage out of Gaza for top Hamas leaders who orchestrated the 7 October attack, draining Gaza of its leaders could weaken Hamas' grip on the war-torn area while also allowing Israel to continue tracking down high-value targets abroad, says CNN.
Senior Hamas officials are known to live in Doha, Qatar, and the Lebanese capital Beirut, among other places outside the Palestinian territories. An Israeli airstrike earlier this month killed a top Hamas commander in Beirut.
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Israel's suggestion that Hamas leaders could leave Gaza, though unlikely to be accepted by Hamas, has been discussed as part of broader ceasefire negotiations at least twice in recent weeks — once last month in Warsaw by Israel's intelligence chief, Mossad Director David Barnea, and then again this month in Doha with US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, according to one official familiar with the discussions.
It also comes amid a flurry of diplomatic activity to try to achieve an extended break in the fighting and free hostages believed to still be alive in Gaza. The White House's top official for the Middle East, Brett McGurk, is traveling to Egypt and Qatar this week for further talks.
American and international officials familiar with the negotiations have said that Israel and Hamas' recent engagement in talks is encouraging but that a deal doesn't appear imminent.
