Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar could have given an order to execute all the hostages who remain in Gaza if he died, a top Israeli negotiator has claimed.
Sinwar died on Wednesday after the IDF encountered him by chance, sending a drone to kill the terror leader.
Gershon Baskin, the Israeli negotiator who oversaw Sinwars 2011 release from an Israeli prison, along with 1,026 Palestinian prisoners, in exchange for the return of kidnapped soldier Gilad Shilat, said that his death was a moment of either opportunity or a moment of doom.
A moment of doom because there are rumours that Sinwar instructed people holding hostages that, should he be killed, they should kill their hostages, he told the Telegraph.
At the time of Sinwars death, just over 100 hostages remained in Gaza, with 60 thought to still be alive.
Those who remain alive are at risk of never being returned to their families, according Haaretz, which reported on Sunday that top US officials, including Secretary of State Anthony Blinken, have assessed there is a slim chance of a deal being brokered, given the tensions between Israel and Hamas.
Sinwar (pictured) died on Wednesday after the IDF encountered him by chance, sending a drone to kill the terror leader
Protesters attend a demonstration against Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahus government and demand a deal to release all hostages held in Gaza, during the Israel-Hamas conflict, near Netanyahus private residence in Jerusalem June 20
People protest against the government, to demand a ceasefire deal and the immediate release of hostages kidnapped during the deadly October 7, 2023 attack by Hamas, in Tel Aviv, Israel
A senior Israeli official told the newspaper on Sunday, several days after Sinwars passing: There are currently no serious cease-fire talks, and Blinken is fully aware of this.
They added: Its unclear how Sinwars death will impact any potential negotiations, if they even exist at this stage.
While Baskin told the Telegraph that it wasnt possible to confirm whether Sinwar had a kill order on the hostages, he said the rumours ought to be taken seriously, given how little Hamas appears to care for them.
He cited the horrific killing of six hostages in tunnels under Rafah in late August.
Israeli military spokesman Daniel Hagari said the six were cruelly murdered by Hamas just a short time before we got to them.
The six dead hostages were identified as Eden Yerushalmi, 24, Carmel Gat, 39, Almog Sarusi, 26, Alex Lubnov, 26, Ori Danino, 25, and Hersh Goldberg-Polin, 23.
Five of those who were recovered had been attending the Nova music festival when Hamas terrorists began slaughtering festivalgoers, while taking others hostage. Gat was at her family kibbutz when she was captured.
The time on the clock by the end of the footage is 1.32am, just five hours before the first terrorists were spotted breaching into Israeli territory
This is the moment Hamas leader Yahya Sinwars wife is spotted seemingly holding a $32,000 bag in the tunnel leading to his secret lair
Footage of his wife seems to show her entering the tunnel to the lair, carrying a Birkin bag, the day before the horrendous tragedy. She is seen appearing to smile at the camera
People pass by a newly painted graffiti depicting Hamas Leader Yahya Sinwar, days after he was killed by Israeli forces in Gaza, in Tel Aviv, Israel, on Sunday, Oct. 20, 2024
Goldberg-Polin lost his arm when a grenade exploded during the carnage.
We saw the six hostages killed when Israel was entering the tunnel. That could be the case now. We just dont know, Baskin said.
He said the return of the hostages depended entirely on whether Israel is able to make a deal with Hamas.
Its a moment of opportunity where Israel should be issuing a very clear call that anyone whos holding a hostage that releases them will be given free passage for themselves and their family out of Gaza to another country, as well as a lot of money.
In order to encourage them to do that, Israel should also be reaching out to Egypt and Qatar and tell them to renew the negotiations quickly, not on the deal thats been negotiated without success for almost four months, but on a deal that would bring the hostages home quicker and would obviously require Israel to end the war.
He said a deal would likely mean the release of Palestinian prisoners, a controversial point for many Israelis who believe that their release would simply lead to another October 7-style attack in the future.
A Yemeni man looks at an artwork depicting the Hamas Political Bureau Head Yahya Sinwar
Sinwars lair, discovered by Israeli soldiers in the Tel al-Sultan area, was well-resourced, with food, water and other supplies to help him survive for months underground
These are the disquieting images that show Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar was callously hiding out in relative comfort from his underground lair as he ordered his terror group to carry out the bloodiest massacre Israel has ever endured
But Baskin said it was a mistake to think like this: October 7 wasnt because of Sinwar. [It] was because were occupying another people for 56 years without enabling them to ever believe that theyre going to be free, or locking two million people in Gaza under poverty and telling them that theyll never be able to leave Gaza.
He said he hoped the deadly attack would ultimately force Israelis to confront the fallacy of basing its policies, vis-à-vis the Palestinians, on military force.
For Palestinians, the lessons learned must, first and foremost, be that there should no longer be an armed struggle as part of their liberation strategy.
Right or wrong, the armed struggle primarily brings death and destruction.
He added: Every person living between the river and the sea must have the same right to the same rights.
From that principle, we can move forward. Freedom, self-determination, security, and dignity for all.