Hamas ‘ceasefire’ is a trap, ‘fatal mistake’ – Son of Hamas founder

Son of Hamas founder urges Israel to proceed with Rafah operation, demand return of all hostages before a potential ceasefire.

By World Israel News Staff

A former Hamas operative called for Israel to proceed with its military operation to destroy the terror group, warning that Hamas’ statement it had accepted a ceasefire was a ploy aimed at preventing the IDF from obtaining a decisive victory over Hamas.

Mosab Hassan Yousef, a former member of Hamas who served as a Shin Bet informant, wrote on social media platform X that Israel must ignore Hamas’ claim that it was willing to agree to a truce.

Yousef is the son of Sheikh Hassan Yousef, a co-founder of Hamas. He has become an outspoken advocate against the group’s radical Islamic ideology and converted to Christianity from Islam in 1997.

“Israel should not fall into Hamas’s new trap unless the terror group commits to the release of ALL HOSTAGES and stepping down from power,” Yousef wrote on X.

“This is a trick orchestrated by Hamas hosts, agents, and donors to prevent Israel from finishing 36 years of human tragedy at the expense of children and their future,” he continued.

“I have to admit that Hamas’s move was very clever, however, Israel must outsmart them by demanding the release of all hostages in exchange for the Rafah invasion.”

Yousef urged Israel to take a hard line with Hamas, and not give them critical time in which to regroup and rearm.

“Anything less than” a demand for the return of the entirety of the hostages “could be a fatal mistake,” he added.

Talks aimed at securing the release of some 30 hostages in exchange for a ceasefire were ongoing, but a deadly attack on a group of troops by Hamas caused the negotiations to collapse.

In recent days, Qatar and the U.S. have increased pressure on Israel to avoid a military operation in Rafah.