Former PA minister claims to be mediator between Israel-Hamas, will reveal message from Sinwar

A former Palestinian Authority minister claims to have been a mediator between Israel and Hamas in the period before the Oct. 7, 2023, attacks and to have conveyed a direct message to Israel from Yahya Sinwar. 

Former Palestinian minister and researcher in Israeli affairs, Dr. Sufyan Abu Zaida, revealed his involvement in indirect contacts between Israel and Hamas, which he said started about a year and a half before the attack, in a video posted to his Facebook account. 

Abu Zaida said that during that period, he conveyed a message from Hamas’ Gaza leader, Yahya Sinwar, to the Israeli government, saying he would reveal that message and other details in an upcoming interview. 

“Peace be upon you. Over the next few days, I will speak to you about the nature of the contacts I have facilitated over the past year and a half between Israel and Hamas,” Abu Zaida says in the video posted to his Facebook account.

“These efforts aimed to reach a deal to secure the release of the prisoners held by Hamas; in exchange, Israel would release hundreds of Palestinian prisoners, lift the blockade on Gaza, allow the entry of workers, and resolve issues regarding electricity, water, and other humanitarian necessities—needs that Israel had linked to the release of the bodies and prisoners it holds,” he continued. 

“I will also discuss the message that Abu Ibrahim Sinwar asked me to convey to the Israeli side,” the former PA minister says. “Stay tuned to Al-Ghad channel in a few days. Thank you.” 

In the clip, Abu Zaida did not disclose the content of the message Sinwar asked him to convey to the Israeli side, nor did he specify the identity of the Israeli officials who received it, saying he would provide additional details during an upcoming appearance on Al-Ghad. 

In a previous interview with the outlet, Abu Zaida spoke about the existence of secret contacts between Israel and Hamas before the Gaza War, referring to information and messages sent to the Israeli side before the Oct. 7 attack. 

Following the release of the video, Israeli journalist Shlomi Eldar identified Abu Zaida as the Palestinian contact known as “Coal Eyes,” mentioned in his recent Haaretz news report, which claimed that Netanyahu was warned by United Arab Emirates leader Mohammed bin Zayed of a Hamas threat 10 days before the attacks. 

Eldar wrote that Abu Zaida was the mediator between senior Hamas official Ghazi Hamad and agents from the Shin Bet, as he speaks Hebrew fluently. 

According to the report, the message from Sinwar that Abu Zaida was to deliver to the Israeli side prompted the UAE leader to contact Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. 

Netanyahu has denied receiving a phone call from bin Zayed, claiming the story is a fabrication. 

On Saturday, a UAE official appeared to support Netanyahu’s claim, telling Emirati newspaper The National that the “UAE discusses security matters with other countries through the relevant entities, and does not discuss such details at the level of national leaders.” 

Haaretz said it stands by its publication and the authors' claims, despite Netanyahu's threats to file a lawsuit. 

The publication of Abu Zaida’s video comes amid several reports in Israeli media that Prime Minister Netanyahu had forewarning of a Hamas escalation. Such claims are also the focus of political campaigns as Israel gears up for elections at the end of October.