It has been reported that one of Yahya Sinwar’s calculations behind the October 7 attack was his conviction that Israel would never release large numbers of Palestinian prisoners through negotiation alone. If that assessment played a significant role in his decision-making, then Israel needs to examine an uncomfortable history: for years before October 7, there were opportunities to negotiate over prisoners and captives, and Israel repeatedly chose not to explore them seriously.

Sinwar never concealed the importance he attached to Palestinian prisoners. After his own release in the 2011 Gilad Shalit exchange, he repeatedly promised publicly that he would work to secure the release of those who remained in Israeli prisons.

I saw the issue from unusually close range.

From the end of the 2014 Gaza war, I used my back-channel contacts with Hamas to try to negotiate the return of the bodies of Israeli soldiers Oron Shaul and Hadar Goldin. Later, we learned that Avera Mengistu, an Israeli citizen of Ethiopian origin who was believed to be alive, was being held in Gaza. Hamas was also holding Hisham al-Sayed, a Bedouin Israeli citizen.

My efforts were coordinated first with Lior........

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