Yahya Sinwar, the leader of Hamas who was killed last week by IDF soldiers in the Tel a-Sultan neighborhood in Rafah, received an offer from Egypt during the war to leave the Gaza Strip and in return allow Cairo to conduct the negotiations for the release of the hostages, but he refused, the Wall Street Journal reported on Sunday.
According to the report Sinwar began to prepare for his assassination after Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah was killed in an Israeli attack in Dahieh in Beirut. He informed his people that Israel would probably offer concessions after his death to end the war, but said that Hamas in negotiations is in a stronger position.
Apart from that, he also advised Hamas to appoint a council to govern and manage the organization after his death. Ynet reported there is not a single definite replacement for Sinwar so far. It is possible that a council will determine Hamas' stance on a hostage deal and facilitate one in the future.
On Monday, the political-security cabinet convened for a discussion regarding a hostage deal after Sinwar's death. A senior Israeli official said recently that no substantial progress or dramatic breakthrough is expected in the talks, at least until the possible Israeli attack on Iran and the potential response is not over. Sinwar's replacements are also not expected to make much progress with a deal until they see a development in the regional war.
Shin Bet chief Ronen Bar, traveled to Cairo on Sunday to meet the new head of Egyptian intelligence, Major General Hassan Mahmoud Rashad who replaced long-serving Abbas Kamel. The two met in an attempt to advance a deal and get the negotiations back on track.
Israel and the U.S. were in discussions with the Egyptian and Qatari mediators, trying to understand if it was possible to reach a breakthrough with Hamas. Israel fears Hamas will exact revenge on the hostages, and relayed threats through the intermediaries not harm them. Israel offered free passage and a financial reward to anyone holding hostages, dead or alive, to release them or provide information about their whereabouts.
Last Friday, Sinwar's deputy Khalil al-Haya confirmed that Sinwar was killed, in a recorded speech. He said the terror group would not compromise on its demands for the IDF to withdraw from Gaza and the war to end.
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