The new leader of the Palestinian movement “Hamas” Yahya Sinuar has given the Egyptian mediators an uncompromising position on the controversial issues in the truce negotiations with Israel, the "National" reported, citing anonymous sources cited by BTA.
Sinowar, who has four death sentences in Israel and spent 22 years in an Israeli prison before being exchanged in 2011, was named head of “Hamas” after the liquidation of Ismail Haniya in Tehran. The election will have a key impact on the movement in the long term, as it is expected to lead to the merger of its political and military wings. In the short term, a firmer and more uncompromising position is expected in the negotiations to stop the war in Gaza.
Sinuar's whereabouts are unknown. He has been hiding since the beginning of the conflict, which followed the entry of fighters of “Hamas” and other Palestinian factions in southern Israel, killing more than 1,200 people and taking more than 250 hostages. According to data from the Palestinian health authorities, more than 39,700 people have been killed during the ten-month conflict.
Sources close to the negotiating team have told The National that the selection of Yahya Sinuar, who is believed to be the mastermind behind the attack on Israel, is likely to hamper the already difficult negotiations. According to reports, immediately after his election, he contacted Egyptian mediators to convey his terms for a ceasefire, including a full Israeli withdrawal from Gaza and the release of high-ranking Palestinian prisoners.
Sinouar has said he is firmly opposed to the Palestinian Authority taking control of Gaza after the war. Autonomy exercises partial control in the West Bank, but has strained relations with “Hamas” for years. The new leader of the movement has also made it clear that he also rejects the sending of multinational forces to maintain security in the strip until elections are held.
According to one of the sources of the Emirati publication, the release of detained Palestinians is among the priorities of Yahya Sinwar. “He wants to see Marwan Barghouti and Ahmed Saadat free and will not compromise on that,” the source said. Barghouti is a senior leader of Fatah, which is considered a possible successor to Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, and Saadat is the leader of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine.
Sinwar's messages were sent to the Egyptians in the form of text and voice messages through Khalil Hayat, who is his trusted aide and acted as his spokesman during the months of negotiations between “Hamas” and Israel.