Former Palestinian minister to reveal message he conveyed from Sinwar to Israel

Former Palestinian minister to reveal message he conveyed from Sinwar to Israel Former Palestinian Authority minister, Sufian Abu Zaida, has said he acted as a go-between for Israel and Hamas before 7 October 2023, and has promised to disclose the message Yahya Sinwar asked him to pass on. “Over the next few days, I will discuss the nature of the contacts I held over a year and a half between Israel and Hamas, which were aimed at reaching a deal to secure the release of the prisoners held by Hamas,” Abu Zaida said in a video statement on Friday. He was referring to two Israeli civilians who were being held by Hamas for years before the Hamas invasion after wandering into Gaza, along with the bodies of two IDF soldiers. Abu Zaida, the PA's former minister for prisoner affairs, said he would give details on Egypt's Al-Ghad TV in the coming days. Hours later, Israeli journalist Shlomi Eldar identified him as "Coal Eyes", the unnamed Fatah interlocutor in his Haaretz report earlier this month, which created a furore in Israel. The report alleged that Sinwar, frustrated by stalled talks, warned Israel of a "zilzal", Arabic for earthquake. Haaretz report said the warning had reached Emirati president Mohammed bin Zayed, who then phoned Benjamin Netanyahu. Netanyahu has denies that any such call took place. סופיאן אבו זיידה חושף את עצמו מרצונו שהוא ״עיני פחם״ שהעביר את ההתרעה לשב״כ באמצע חודש ספטמבר, שיחיא סינוואר מתכנן מתקפה גדולה על ישראל. הוא מפרסם את הסרטון הזה בפייסבוק. קישור בתגובה הראשונה pic.twitter.com/4DfNcSXq4b — Shlomi Eldar (@shlomieldar) September 18, 2026