While Israel is waiting for Hamas's response on the new hostage release deal, the Wall Street Journal reported Friday that internal disagreements between senior Hamas leaders are preventing the terror organization from reaching an agreement on the proposal formulated at the Paris summit - sources familiar with the negotiations told the American newspaper.
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According to the sources, the organization’s internal dynamics experienced a "reversal," with Hamas leader in Gaza Yahya Sinwar, who’s reportedly exhausted after months of fighting, saying he was willing to accept the proposal for an initial pause to hostilities lasting six weeks. Other senior Hamas members in the Gaza Strip share this position.
In contrast, Hamas’ politburo leaders located abroad are demanding more concessions from Israel and want to conduct ongoing negotiations for a permanent cease-fire in the Strip.
The disagreement within Hamas, according to the New York Times, is just one of various obstacles hindering the potential deal, whose principles were agreed on by military intelligence chiefs from the United States, Israel, Egypt, and Qatar.
The proposal calls for an initial pause to fighting lasting six weeks, marking a longer period than in the previous round of negotiations in November. The mediators, the report read, plan to use this pause to work towards a permanent end to the war, making it more challenging for Israel to initiate a full-scale military operation in Gaza.
The proposal is also awaiting the decision of Israel’s War Cabinet after receiving approval from Mossad Chief David Barnea, who participated in the talks.
Hamas initially demanded a unilateral long-term cease-fire in Gaza from Israel, but the terror organization's leadership in the Strip now appears closer to accepting the current proposal, according to sources familiar with the negotiations. The mediators presented the current framework as a way to bridge the gap between the terrorist organization and the Israeli government, which sought a short-term pause in the fighting.
Official sources told the Wall Street Journal that Sinwar was willing to accept a six-week cease-fire, considering it would provide Hamas with time to reorganize and allow humanitarian aid to reach Gazans throughout the region.
On the other hand, Ismail Haniyeh, head of Hamas’ politburo, argued in recent days that the terror group needs to conduct ongoing negotiations for a permanent cease-fire to be assured by Israel to foreign countries, alongside a plan to rebuild the Gaza Strip.
One of the sources explained Hamas leaders’ sudden willingness to compromise and accept the current proposal saying, "Their families are being killed." Hamas refused to respond to the New York Times report, only saying the terror organization has yet to reach an agreement on the proposal.
Despite the numerous obstacles facing the new hostage deal, mediators involved in the negotiations expressed optimism in recent days, saying the remaining gaps between the sides could be solved in the coming weeks.
According to the Wall Street Journal, official sources and analysts monitoring the talks suggest that if an agreement is reached, both the Israeli government and Hamas will have a reason to return to fighting before engaging in further negotiations for a long-term cease-fire in Gaza.