NYT Journalist Discusses the Killing of Hamas Leader Yahya Sinwar

BUT AS WE HAVE BEEN TOLD BY THE IDF BIG, THE FOREIGN MINISTER IT IS ABSOLUTELY CONFIRMED, AND THE U.S. HAS BEEN TOLD THAT IT'S BEEN CONFIRMED.

JUST FOR PEOPLE WHO MIGHT NOT UNDERSTAND HOW ISRAEL WOULD KNOW AND CHECK, OBVIOUSLY BECAUSE SINWAR WAS IN ISRAEL JAILS FOR ABOUT TWO DECADES, RIGHT.

THAT WOULD HAVE HIS DNA, HIS TEETH PICTURES AND X-RAYS AND ALL THE REST OF IT.

>> YEAH.

THEY HAVE ALL OF THESE, THE DENTAL RECORD, THE FINGERPRINTS, WHICH COULD BE ALSO EXAMINED BACK IN GAZA.

THEY DON'T NEED TO FLY THE BODY OR THE FINGERPRINTS OVER.

THEY HAVE THE ONLINE DATABASE.

AND THE DNA ALL TAKEN FROM THE TIME HE WAS A PRISONER WHO WAS RELEASED AT THE SHALIT DEAL IN 2011.

SO THIS COULD BE EASILY MATCHED AND IDENTIFIED.

>> AND I WANT TO ASK YOU A QUESTION, BECAUSE PEOPLE WANT TO KNOW WHO ARE THE OTHER TWO, OR ONE OTHER BODY THERE.

SOME AMERICANS HAVE SAID, AND OTHERS, AND I THINK EVEN A QATARI, ANY WAY, PEOPLE HAVE BEEN SAYING IF THE SUCCESSOR IS YAHYA SINWAR'S BROTHER MOHAMMED, THEN, QUOTE, UNQUOTE, WE'RE SCREWED, BECAUSE HE APPARENTLY IS NO TOUCHY-FEELY KIND OF GUY IN TERMS OF CEASEFIRES AND IT MIGHT EVEN BE WORSE.

AND CERTAINLY HOSTAGE DEALS.

WHAT DO YOU KNOW ABOUT THAT?

>> SO THE BROTHER MOHAMMED SINWAR IS CONSIDERED TO BE EVEN MORE EXTREME ROGUE AS MUCH AS SOMEONE CAN BE MORE EXTREME OR ROGUE THAT YAHYA SINWAR.

HE WAS NOT IN THE VICINITY WHERE SINWAR WAS KILLED.

HE IS BELIEVED TO BE SOMEWHERE ELSE IN SOUTHERN GAZA, AND IT IS ASSESSED BY ISRAELI INTELLIGENCE THAT HE WILL BE THE SUCCESSOR.

THE LATE SINWAR WAS HOLDING TWO HANDS.

HE WAS THE LEADER OF HAMAS IN GAZA, BUT ALSO, HE REPLACED ISMAIL HANIYEH AS THE POLITICAL LEADER, THE HIT OF THE POLITICAL.

THESE TWO HANDS GIVEN TO MOHAMMED SINWAR I THINK IN THE COMING FUTURE, WE SHOULD EXPECT A MORE HARD LINE FROM HAMAS AND NOT SOMETHING THAT WOULD GET US ANYWHERE CLOSE TO FINAL CEASEFIRE AND EXCHANGE OF HOSTAGES.

THIS EVEN BEFORE I SPEAK ABOUT THE EXPECTED POSITIONS FROM ISRAELI PRIME MINISTER.

>> AND WE ARE GOING TO HEAR FROM THE ISRAELI PRIME MINISTER.

BUT I WANT TO ASK YOU AGAIN, BECAUSE ALL ISRAELI FAMILIES AND FRIENDS OF THE HOSTAGES, THAT'S THEIR MAIN DEMAND, TO HAVE THEIR PEOPLE BACK.

A QATARI, THE QATARI PRIME MINISTER HAS TOLD PRIME MINISTERS IN BRUSSELS THIS LAST WEEK BASICALLY IN THE LAST THREE TO FOUR WEEKS, THERE HAS BEEN NO CONVERSATION OR ENGAGEMENT AT ALL, AND WE'RE JUST MOVING IN THE SAME CIRCLE WITH SILENCE FROM ALL PARTIES.

SO QATAR, WHO HAS BEEN BROKERING AND HOSTING A LOT OF THESE CEASEFIRE TALKS, WHAT MORE CAN YOU TELL US WHAT MIGHT HAPPEN IF THIS IS THE CASE, YAHYA SINWAR GONE OR NOT?

>> SO MAYBE THIS WOULD BE THE OPENING OF NOW ANOTHER ROUND OF TALKS, BECAUSE EVERYTHING IS COMPLETELY STUCK.

HAMAS HAS GIVEN ITS FINAL ANSWER ON JULY 3rd, AND THEN BENJAMIN NETANYAHU, ISRAELI PRIME MINISTER, WHAT WAS CALLED THE CLARIFICATION LETTER JUST LOADED MORE OBSTACLES AND MORE U-TURNS, SOME OF THEM GIVEN UP BY ISRAEL, AND THEN HAMAS LOADED MORE UTURNS.

THIS ROAD IS NOWHERE TO BE SOWN.

MAYBE NOW WITH THE KILLING OF YAHYA SINWAR THERE COULD BE A NEW OPENING.

THERE ARE SOME IDEAS IN THE ISRAELI LEADERSHIP MAYBE TO OFFER A CEASEFIRE IN EXCHANGE FOR HOSTAGES.

MAYBE SOME IMMUNITY IF SOMEONE GIVES A HOSTAGE BACK.

THIS IS YET TO BE SEEN AND DECIDED.

BUT IT'S A WATERSHED MOMENT YET TO BE SEEN WHAT KIND OF DIRECTION HAMAS WILL TAKE.

ONE CONCERN, BIG CONCERN OF ISRAELIS, OF ISRAELI OFFICIALS IS THAT NOW WITH NO DIRECT CONTROL OF THE LATE YAHYA SINWAR, MAYBE THE TEAMS GUARDING THE HOSTAGES WILL HAVE LESS COMMAND AND CONTROL SYSTEM AND WILL, YOU KNOW, HAVE THEIR OWN OPINION ON HOW TO CONTINUE, NOT JUST THEM, BUT ALSO ALL HAMAS FORCES.

THIS COULD LEAD TO THE FRAGMENTATION OF THE ORGANIZATION WHICH DOES NOT NECESSARILY MEAN GOOD NEWS.

>> ♪♪