Sinwar warned Israel of 'earthquake' weeks before October 7, former Fatah official reveals
In the interview, Zaida said that for more than a year he served as an intermediary in a secret channel between Israel and Hamas in an effort to advance a prisoner exchange deal.
Former senior Fatah official Sufian Abu Zaida revealed in a documentary that Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar warned Israel of an unspecified event three weeks before the October 7 attack. Abu Zaida, who served as a secret intermediary between Israel and Hamas, had been contacted by a senior Hamas official in March 2022 to facilitate prisoner exchange talks.
The discussions involved the names and lists of prisoners, with Hamas demanding the release of female prisoners, minors, those rearrested after the Gilad Schalit deal, and veteran prisoners with a focus on sick inmates. In return, Israel offered increased worker permits to Israel, infrastructure improvements, and reconstruction aid.
Despite progress, no agreement was reached. In September 2023, Abu Zaida met with Sinwar in Gaza, who instructed him to relay a message to Israel that Hamas would present "cards" on the negotiating table, causing an "earthquake," and that Israel should prepare for the release of prisoners. Sinwar delivered the message exactly as given.
Abu Zaida reported this to the Israeli side, who were alerted, causing a state of alert among security officials.
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