Hamas chief and Oct. 7 mastermind Yahya Sinwar, who previously claimed that it would be an honor to die fighting Israel, has made his own survival a condition of any cease-fire in Gaza, according to a new report
Sinwar allegedly emphasized that his safety must be guaranteed, and that Israel must not try to kill him, a senior Egyptian official told Ynet.
“Sinwar insists on a guarantee that his safety and security are assured,” the official said.
Sinwar, who rose to the top of Hamas following the assassination of former chief Ismail Haniyeh last month, allegedly claimed that if Israel could agree with his demands, then a cease-fire deal would be possible.
The new position comes after months of Sinwar intervening with the cease-fire and hostage exchange talks, with the terror chief calling on Hamas to continue fighting until Israel is destroyed.
In June, leaked messages obtained by the Wall Street Journal revealed Sinwar’s cold calculations, chalking up the tens of thousands killed in Gaza as “necessary sacrifices.”
“We have the Israelis right where we want them,” Sinwar told negotiators as he pushed for the terror group to reject a cease-fire deal earlier this year.
He even made similar comments about his slain sons, saying their deaths would only “infuse life into the veins of this nation, prompting it to rise to its glory and honor,” according to the WSJ.
Sinwar, who continues to elude the Israeli military, has appeared to change his attitude after being selected as Haniyeh’s successor.
Just five days after he was appointed to the new position, sources familiar with the cease-fire talks told CNN that Sinwar was asking Egyptian and Qatari mediators to help push for an end to the war.
US and Israeli officials, however, say the terror group has remained steadfast in impeding the negotiations from proceeding, with President Joe Biden accusing Hamas of suddenly “backing off.”
The terror group slammed Biden for allegedly siding with Israel after the Jewish state allegedly set new demands that were not previously agreed to.
Hamas cited the new demand from Israel requesting that it be allowed to keep a presence along the Gaza-Egypt border, where large terror tunnel systems have recently been found.
Hamas rejected the condition, noting that previous cease-fire agreements called for a complete IDF withdrawal from the Gaza Strip.
With both Hamas and Israel sticking to their demands, mediators fear the cease-fire talks may hit a dead end soon, with the future of the 109 hostages in Gaza left uncertain.
With Post wires
