The leader of the radical Palestinian Hamas movement in the Gaza Strip Yahya Sinwar will not agree to a cease-fire agreement with Israel unless it contains a “credible plan to end the war”, writes The Wall Street Journal.
According to the publication's sources, Sinwar's main goal is the release of hundreds or even thousands of Palestinians from Israeli prisons in exchange for hostages held by Hamas. He also expects the deal to bring an end to fighting in the enclave, along with the continued existence of Hamas, and will not agree to a deal without a “credible plan to end the war”. The movement is also demanding international guarantees for a ceasefire. The guarantees of Egypt, Qatar and the United States seem to Hamas to be “insufficient”, according to interlocutors of the publication who are involved in the negotiations.
They added that it was difficult to negotiate with both Sinwar and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. “Netanyahu's only goal is his own political survival and everything comes from that. This means that if he makes the decision, there will be no ceasefire deal and no hostages. He is at a dead end,”, former Israeli diplomat Alon Pinkas told The Wall Street Journal.
Sinowar, for his part, believes he has already won the war, whether he survives or not, because he has “opened the eyes of the world to the suffering of the Palestinians and brought the conflict to the forefront of international politics” , the negotiators explain. They add that in the long term, the Hamas leader in Gaza hopes to lift the blockade of the Strip, get rid of Israeli military pressure and ensure the continued existence of the movement.
On April 27, Egypt handed over to the radicals an initiative agreed with the Israeli side, which included the release of 20 to 40 hostages held by Hamas in Gaza in exchange for a ceasefire in the enclave. As the alekhbariya.net source noted, an agreement between Hamas and Israel will most likely be reached “in the next few days, despite some reservations”.