Hamas denies that Sinwar called Gaza death toll 'necessary sacrifice'

Hamas has denied that the group's chief, Yahya Sinwar, had made comments saying that the civilian deaths in Gaza were a "necessary sacrifice".

On Monday, the Wall Street Journal (WSJ) reported it had obtained "dozens of messages" that allegedly showed Sinwar’s "cold disregard for human life and made clear he believes Israel has more to lose from the war than Hamas".

According to the US publication, Sinwar’s comment on "necessary sacrifices" was said after citing civilian losses in national liberation conflicts in places such as Algeria, where hundreds of thousands died fighting for independence.

Other comments the WSJ alleged Sinwar had said included "for Netanyahu, a victory would be even worse than a defeat", and "Israel’s journey in Rafah won’t be a walk in the park".

According to Al Arabiya, Ghazi Hamad, a spokesperson for Hamas, refuted the report and denied that any such comments were made by Sinwar.

"What has been circulated is completely incorrect," Hamad said, adding that Sinwar was "heavily concerned" with ending the war as soon as possible.

"We are in regular contact with Sinwar daily, there are regular conversations and discussions. We liaise on different matters and there is no conflict or discrepancy between us internally or externally," Hamad said.

"I am saying to you clearly, that those words were not uttered," Hamad told the Saudi-based outlet.

Hamas officials on Monday welcomed a UN Security Council resolution to support an American-backed cease-fire plan for Gaza. 

On Tuesday, they also accepted the latest proposed deal, mediated by the US, Egypt and Qatar, calling for the withdrawal of Israeli forces from the besieged Gaza Strip, with some proposed amendments.

Over 37,202 Palestinians have been killed and nearly 85,000 others wounded, most of them women and children, over eight months of ferocious Israeli war on the territory.

The ongoing bombardment has levelled entire neighbourhoods and plunged the enclave into a deep humanitarian crisis.