Khaberni - Israeli Transportation Minister Miri Regev, on Monday, said that she proposed to the Security Cabinet (Kabinet) to burn the body of the former Hamas leader in the Gaza Strip, Yahya Sinwar.
This was stated during an interview conducted by the Israeli site "Kol Barama" with the minister, who is affiliated with the Likud party led by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
In October 2024, about a year after the start of "Al-Aqsa Flood" operation and the subsequent devastating Israeli war against the Gaza Strip, Sinwar was assassinated in the city of Rafah, southern Gaza, by Israeli gunfire while he was fighting. Since then, Israel has retained his body and has refused to hand it over as part of a war termination agreement.
Regev said: "I proposed in the Kabinet to burn the body of Yahya Sinwar, just like the Americans did to (Al-Qaeda leader Osama) bin Laden."
Contrary to what the Israeli minister mentioned, Bin Laden’s body was disposed of in the sea, not burned, after being killed by U.S. forces in a special mission in 2011 on Pakistani territory.
Regev continued: "They did not comment on my proposal (to burn Sinwar's body), but I think there are certain symbols we should not return."
She added: "Because we know the Middle East, and what happens in the region, I say I do not want to see Sinwar return only to be buried," she said.
Regarding the second phase of the ceasefire agreement between Hamas and Israel, Regev said: "Unless the body of the last of the deceased hostages reaches Israel, the second phase of the agreement will not take effect."
She claimed: "We have indications about most of the locations of the bodies, and perhaps we know more than Hamas, which consistently does not adhere to agreements."
Until Monday evening, since the beginning of the implementation of the first phase of the ceasefire agreement, Hamas has released 20 live Israeli prisoners, and the remains of 14 out of 28, most of them Israelis.
While Israel says that the remaining number is 15, claiming that one of the received bodies does not match any of its prisoners.
Hamas says that it is trying "to close the file" and needs time, advanced equipment, and heavy machinery to extract the rest of the bodies.
On October 10, the ceasefire agreement between Hamas and Israel came into effect, based on the plan of US President Donald Trump, which includes ending the war, a gradual withdrawal of the Israeli army, a mutual release of prisoners, and immediate entry of aid to the sector.
This agreement concluded a genocide committed by Israel on October 8, 2023, which lasted for two years, resulting in the martyrdom of 68,216 Palestinians, and injuring 170,361 others.
Despite the agreement, the Gaza government, on Sunday, said that 97 Palestinians were killed and 230 others were injured, due to 80 breaches carried out by the Israeli army since the agreement took effect.
