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| Activist sets up photos of hostages held in the Gaza Strip before a statement by released hostages in "Hostage Square" on Dec. 17, 2024. Photo by Amir Levy/Getty Images. |
According to sources closely involved in the negotiations, Hamasshole Mohammed Sinwar, the brother of rodent-faced Yahya Sinwar who has been killed while trying to hide from the IDF, is deliberately obstructing the hostage deal and has misled mediators for weeks.
Not surprisingly, the optimism about the hostage negotiations has turned into frustration as obstacles, specifically those put forth by Sinwar, in the dealings have stalled the process.
Sources close to the talks suggest there's been a lot of intentional blocking, explaining how the brother of the late Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar has been misleading mediators for weeks. He's been refusing to provide hostage lists and backing out of deals that were already agreed upon. Security and political officials are very worried about how Sinwar has been managing the negotiations.
Sources close to the talks suggest there's been a lot of intentional blocking, explaining how the brother of the late Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar has been misleading mediators for weeks. He's been refusing to provide hostage lists and backing out of deals that were already agreed upon. Security and political officials are very worried about how Sinwar has been managing the negotiations.
One might even surmise that Hamas has lost touch with the whereabouts of the hostages, or that they may have already been murdered.
Two big problems keep coming up: Hamas won't give a list of hostages for the first release, and there's disagreement about how many terrorist prisoners should be swapped and the terms of their deportation.
Israeli officials say that getting a hostage list is a must-have before anything else, and Hamas not doing so is stopping talks on other issues.
The end of the war is another big argument. At first, Hamas seemed okay with not discussing it to start negotiations, but now they want it to be part of any deal, making one wonder about their reasoning.
Security officials told ministers this week that starting the deal's first phase would likely lead to finishing it. Cabinet ministers seem more ready to accept the high costs of this deal but don't want to end the war, because allowing Hamas to remain intact is like allowing a few roaches to live under the sink and hope that they will not grow again.
There has been some progress though. They've agreed on releasing hostages who meet basic humanitarian needs and on sending more aid to Gaza. There's also some agreement on where Israeli forces should be during any ceasefire.
A high-ranking Cabinet member told Israel Hayom that while some topics might lead to a deal, they could also make things fall apart. Both sides are thinking about Donald Trump's upcoming inauguration on January 20.
Hamas made a statement on Wednesday, blaming Jerusalem for adding "new conditions related to withdrawal [of troops], ceasefire, prisoners, and the return of the displaced, which has delayed reaching the agreement that was available."
Hamas said the talks were "proceeding seriously in Doha with Qatari and Egyptian mediation" and claimed that the terrorist organization "has shown responsibility and flexibility."
The Israeli Prime Minister’s Office responded, "The Hamas terrorist organization continues to lie, is reneging on understandings that have already been reached and is continuing to create difficulties in the negotiations.
“However, Israel will continue its relentless efforts to return all of our hostages,” the statement added.
The Israeli negotiators, including top officials from the IDF, Mossad, and Shin Bet, were set to return to Jerusalem on Tuesday night after a "significant" week of indirect talks with Hamas in Qatar, according to the PMO. They're coming back for "internal consultations regarding the continuation of the talks for the return of our hostages."
On Monday night, Hannah Katzir, who was kidnapped from Kibbutz Nir Oz during Hamas's attack on October 7, 2023, and freed in November of that year in a hostage exchange with Hamas, passed away at 78. Hannah was released on November 24, 2023, among 12 other women and children that day. By the end of the six-day truce on November 30, 105 captives were freed.
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Two big problems keep coming up: Hamas won't give a list of hostages for the first release, and there's disagreement about how many terrorist prisoners should be swapped and the terms of their deportation.
Israeli officials say that getting a hostage list is a must-have before anything else, and Hamas not doing so is stopping talks on other issues.
The end of the war is another big argument. At first, Hamas seemed okay with not discussing it to start negotiations, but now they want it to be part of any deal, making one wonder about their reasoning.
Security officials told ministers this week that starting the deal's first phase would likely lead to finishing it. Cabinet ministers seem more ready to accept the high costs of this deal but don't want to end the war, because allowing Hamas to remain intact is like allowing a few roaches to live under the sink and hope that they will not grow again.
There has been some progress though. They've agreed on releasing hostages who meet basic humanitarian needs and on sending more aid to Gaza. There's also some agreement on where Israeli forces should be during any ceasefire.
A high-ranking Cabinet member told Israel Hayom that while some topics might lead to a deal, they could also make things fall apart. Both sides are thinking about Donald Trump's upcoming inauguration on January 20.
Hamas made a statement on Wednesday, blaming Jerusalem for adding "new conditions related to withdrawal [of troops], ceasefire, prisoners, and the return of the displaced, which has delayed reaching the agreement that was available."
Hamas said the talks were "proceeding seriously in Doha with Qatari and Egyptian mediation" and claimed that the terrorist organization "has shown responsibility and flexibility."
The Israeli Prime Minister’s Office responded, "The Hamas terrorist organization continues to lie, is reneging on understandings that have already been reached and is continuing to create difficulties in the negotiations.
“However, Israel will continue its relentless efforts to return all of our hostages,” the statement added.
The Israeli negotiators, including top officials from the IDF, Mossad, and Shin Bet, were set to return to Jerusalem on Tuesday night after a "significant" week of indirect talks with Hamas in Qatar, according to the PMO. They're coming back for "internal consultations regarding the continuation of the talks for the return of our hostages."
On Monday night, Hannah Katzir, who was kidnapped from Kibbutz Nir Oz during Hamas's attack on October 7, 2023, and freed in November of that year in a hostage exchange with Hamas, passed away at 78. Hannah was released on November 24, 2023, among 12 other women and children that day. By the end of the six-day truce on November 30, 105 captives were freed.
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