Gal Hirsch, the Israeli government’s official envoy overseeing efforts to free hostages in Gaza, has made an offer to Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar – offering the blood-drenched terrorist leader safe passage for him and his family if Hamas were to relinquish control of the Gaza Strip and release all hostages currently held by the group.

“We are ready to provide safe passage to Sinwar, his family, whoever wants to join him,” Hirsch told Bloomberg News.  “We want the hostages back. We want demilitarization, de-radicalization of course — a new system that will manage Gaza.”

Hirsch added that he had presented this offer a day and a half ago, though he did not comment on whether there had been any response from Hamas. The proposal, which represents a bold diplomatic gesture, underscores Israel’s desire to resolve the hostage crisis while also seeking long-term changes in Gaza’s governance.

As of now, there has been no confirmation of interest or response from Hamas, leaving the fate of the hostages and the potential for a breakthrough in negotiations uncertain.

Meanwhile, standing alongside British Foreign Secretary David Lammy in London on Monday, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken hinted that a new proposal for a hostage deal between Israel and Hamas would soon be on the table. “Very soon, we will put that before the parties and we will see what they say,” Blinken said at a press conference, even as pessimism surrounding negotiations has grown among Israeli and US officials.

An Israeli official told The Times of Israel that Jerusalem has no knowledge of the new proposal or its details. This comes as reports highlight deepening pessimism in Washington, with a senior US official characterizing recent Hamas demands as a “poison pill.” Hamas has reportedly called for the release of terrorists serving life sentences in exchange for civilian hostages, which has further complicated negotiations.

Israeli sources echoed the grim outlook, with one unnamed official telling Channel 12 that the chances of reaching a phased hostage-ceasefire agreement based on Israel’s previous proposals are “close to zero.” Despite this, Blinken and Lammy maintained a more optimistic tone during their joint appearance, following a private meeting focused on both the hostage crisis and support for Ukraine.

“More than 90 percent of the issues have been agreed, decided, so we’re down to a handful of issues — not even a handful — that are hard but fully resolvable,” Blinken said. Lammy supported this assessment, adding that it was now up to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar to finalize the deal. He affirmed that the US, along with Qatar and Egypt, is working to close the remaining gaps.

Blinken emphasized the strong regional interest in a ceasefire, noting that it was “clearly in Israel’s interest.” However, Lammy stressed that “there can be no role for Hamas going forward,” a statement Blinken did not directly address during the press conference.

Meanwhile, reports indicate the US has expressed frustration with Hamas’s new demands. According to sources familiar with recent talks, the Biden administration urged Egypt and Qatar to press Hamas to abandon its demand for the release of prisoners serving life sentences. Hamas has held civilian hostages since October 7, and its shifting stance is seen as a key obstacle to any progress.

While there have been setbacks, including the killing of six hostages by Hamas in late August, Blinken and other officials remain hopeful that a deal can still be reached. Two senior US officials involved in negotiations told a Washington, DC, policy conference that the primary obstacle remains the prisoner release issue, rather than disagreements over the Philadelphi Corridor along the Gaza-Egypt border, which Israel fears Hamas could use for smuggling arms.

Despite the growing concerns among negotiators, Blinken’s remarks suggest that efforts to finalize a deal are still moving forward. Whether this will translate into a breakthrough remains to be seen as both sides weigh their options.

(YWN World Headquarters – NYC)