Hamas's Yahya Sinwar resurfaces, contacts Qatar amid ongoing conflict

Yahya Sinwar, the head of the political bureau of the Palestinian group Hamas, has resurfaced after weeks of silence, according to an Israeli official.

Sinwar, who had been out of contact for an extended period, reportedly reestablished communication with Hamas representatives in Qatar in recent days, relaying key messages, Caliber.Az reports, citing foreign media.

However, the Israeli source noted that the timing of these communications remains unclear, and Sinwar's stance on the ongoing Israeli hostage negotiations has not shifted. Israel had previously offered him safe passage from Gaza in exchange for the release of the hostages.

On October 7, Saudi news channel Al-Arabiya confirmed that Sinwar had resumed contact with Qatar. This follows weeks of speculation regarding his whereabouts after Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah's elimination, during which Sinwar remained silent, prompting rumours of his disappearance.

In a broader context, The New York Times reported that while the likelihood of Israel striking Iran’s nuclear facilities in retaliation for recent missile fire is low, Israeli military action may target military and intelligence centres instead. The possibility of strikes on Iran's nuclear infrastructure remains, but only if further escalation occurs.

Meanwhile, the Palestinian human rights group Addameer has reported that since the conflict began on October 7, 2023, the Israeli military has detained 108 journalists in Israeli-controlled Palestinian territories. Of these, 58 journalists remain in Israeli prisons, including 16 held under administrative detention. In total, more than 10,100 people are currently incarcerated in both Israeli and Palestinian prisons.

Palestinian authorities have stated that 169 journalists have been killed since the war began in Gaza, with the overall death toll reaching 41,800 and over 97,000 wounded, according to the Palestinian Ministry of Health.

In a separate development, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, in a video message commemorating the anniversary of the Hamas attack on Israel, reiterated Israel’s commitment to continuing military operations in the Gaza Strip.

He emphasized that as long as Israeli citizens remain hostages in Gaza and the threat to Israel persists, the fight will continue. He outlined the objectives of the ongoing war: dismantling Hamas’ power, securing the safe return of all Israeli hostages, preventing future threats from Gaza, and ensuring the safe return of residents in Israel’s southern and northern regions.

By Khagan Isayev