Hamas wants ceasefire deal, mediators say; Israel’s position unclear

Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar wants a cease-fire deal — at least, that is the message Egyptian and Qatari mediators have conveyed to Israeli officials in recent days ahead of a critical summit later this week, an Israeli source familiar with the matter said.

Whether the Israeli prime minister wants such a deal or not remains shrouded in uncertainty.

Netanyahu’s allies have told reporters and other government officials that the prime minister is ready to make a deal regardless of the impact on his governing coalition, two Israeli sources said. But Israel’s security establishment remains considerably more skeptical about Netanyahu’s willingness to reach a deal, given the strong opposition from far-right ministers in his coalition.

“Nobody knows what Bibi wants,” said an Israeli source, referring to Netanyahu by his nickname.

What is clear is that Netanyahu will face a mountain of pressure this week from the United States to agree to a ceasefire and a hostage release deal.

But even as mediators tell Israel that Sinwar wants a deal, Hamas on Sunday (11) cast doubt on its participation in the next round of ceasefire talks scheduled for Thursday, saying it had asked mediators to implement a ceasefire plan based on previous negotiations, such as the draft presented by US President Joe Biden or the one by the UN Security Council in July.

“Out of concern and responsibility to our people and their interests, the movement demands that the mediators present a plan to implement what they presented to the movement and agreed on July 2, 2024, based on Biden’s vision and the UN Security Council resolution, and compel the occupation to do so, rather than moving towards new rounds of negotiations or new proposals,” the Hamas statement read.

Hamas indicated its latest stance was influenced by an Israeli attack on Saturday on a school in Gaza that killed at least 93 people, according to local officials.

US officials have made clear to their Israeli counterparts that they believe now is the time to reach a ceasefire agreement in order to avoid a wider regional war, the Israeli source said.

The Hostage and Missing Families Forum, a powerful voice in Israel, also called on Israel and Hamas to finalize a ceasefire agreement that includes the return of the hostages.

“A deal is the only way to bring all the hostages home. Time is running out. The hostages have no more time left. “A deal must be signed now!” the forum said in a statement on Thursday.

At the same time, Netanyahu’s coalition partners have made it clear that they do not want Israel to reach a deal with Hamas.

Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich called the proposed ceasefire agreement a “surrender agreement” on Friday (10) in a social media post.

White House national security spokesman John Kirby rebuked Smotrich’s comments, saying his “arguments are completely wrong.”

However, Netanyahu’s political future largely depends on his coalition partners – several of whom have already threatened to leave the government and cause its collapse if he agrees to the deal.

The Knesset (Israeli parliament) is currently in recess for the summer holidays, which would make it more difficult – though not impossible – for Smotrich and National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir to topple the current government. And Israeli sources have indicated that Netanyahu could call elections if a ceasefire agreement is reached, which would allow him to control the timing of such elections.

Delegations working “24 hours a day”

Mediators are expected to reach an agreement with Israeli and Hamas negotiating teams in Cairo or Doha next week. But negotiations are already underway with technical delegations working “around the clock” on resolving key details ahead of Thursday’s meeting, the Israeli source said.

The talks come at a tense time in the Middle East. Two assassinations of high-profile leaders in Lebanon and Iran in recent weeks have raised fears of retaliation that could lead to a wider conflict.

Israel last week killed Fu’ad Shukr, the top military commander of Hezbollah, the Lebanese armed group backed by Iran. The following day, Israel is believed to have assassinated Hamas political leader Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran, in what is seen as a major embarrassment for the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), which was hosting Haniyeh.

Israel has neither confirmed nor denied its involvement in this incident.

There are indications that Iran will reconsider the scale and timing of its retaliation against Israel if there is a ceasefire in Gaza, a possibility that has put additional pressure on Israel to reach an agreement in order to avoid the risk of an all-out war.

Sinwar, the Hamas leader in Gaza and, according to Israel, one of the masterminds of the deadly October 7 terrorist attack, was named the new head of the group’s political bureau following Haniyeh’s assassination.

Sinwar has not been seen in public since October 7 and is believed to be hiding in tunnels dug beneath Gaza. Haniyeh played a key role in the ceasefire negotiations, but Sinwar’s role has been more limited given his difficulties communicating with the outside world.

The talks come after an Israeli attack on a school and a mosque killed dozens of people, sparking international outrage. Israel said it targeted a Hamas command center and killed several fighters.

Following the attack, US Vice President Kamala Harris, the Democratic presidential candidate, said on Saturday that “too many” civilians had been killed in Gaza, saying a deal “needs to be done now”.

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