Amid hostage deal negotiations, Qatar is unsure who is leading Hamas

Although the Qataris are involved in discussions with Hamas officials, it is uncertain who in the terror group has the last word during negotiations.

By Vered Weiss, World Israel News

In the attempt to revive hostage deal negotiations, Qatar is facing the challenge of determining who is the leader of Hamas after the death of Yahya Sinwar, according to Kan.

Although the Qataris are involved in discussions with Hamas officials, it is uncertain who in the terror group has the last word during negotiations.

On October 18, the death of Sinwar was confirmed and happened not during a planned assassination but when IDF soldiers spotted Sinwar during a regular operation in Gaza.

Hamas has yet to replace Sinwar as the leader of the terror group.

Al Hadath reported that a senior Hamas official rejected a proposal for a limited hostage release deal, but Hamas’ Taher al-Nunu said they would consider a proposal that led directly to a permanent ceasefire.

A day after Egypt proposed a 48-hour ceasefire coinciding with the release of hostages and Palestinian prisoners, Hamas rejected the plan on Monday.

At the resumption of negotiations in Qatar on Sunday, Egyptian leader Abdel Fattah al-Sisi proposed an initial two-day ceasefire and hostage-for-prisoner exchange to lead to a more comprehensive deal.

The plan would begin with a 48-hour ceasefire, during which four hostages with foreign citizenship would be released in exchange for a number of Palestinian prisoners.

During this period, the delivery of humanitarian aid will be facilitated in Gaza.
For the duration, the IDF would remain within Gaza but refrain from operating armored vehicles.

On news that Egypt had proposed the two-day ceasefire and hostages for the prisoners release plan, a Palestinian source told Reuters on Sunday that Hamas would be unlikely to accept any deal without a full withdrawal of the IDF from Gaza and an end to the war from the outset.

The Palestinian official told Reuters, “I expect Hamas would listen to the new offers, but it remains determined that any agreement must end the war and get Israeli forces out of Gaza.”

On Monday, Netanyahu indicated he would be willing to accept the temporary ceasefire and hostage release deal.

At a Likud meeting, he said, “If there were a deal for a two-day ceasefire to release four hostages, I would take it immediately.”