In an interview with CNN, Hamas spokesperson and political bureau member Osama Hamdan offered an insight into the militant group’s position on
the stalled ceasefire talks, a view on whether Hamas regrets its decision to attack Israel given the mounting Palestinian death toll, and a commentary on the leak earlier this week of messages from its chief in Gaza, Yahya Sinwar, the man believed to be the ultimate decision-maker on any peace deal.
A merican intelligence officials believe that Sinwar likely believes Hamas can survive Israel’s attempt to destroy it.
At the same time, Netanyahu is under increasing pressure to reach a deal that would secure the return of the remaining hostages still in Gaza. Israel believes that more than 70 hostages of the more than 100 who are still held in Gaza to be alive.
Speaking to CNN, Hamdan said he didn’t know how many were still alive. “I don’t have any idea about that. No one has an idea about this,” he said, alleging – without providing any evidence – that the Israeli operation to free four of the hostages on Saturday resulted in the deaths of three others, including an American citizen.
There are fears that more hostages may be dead than are publicly known. In April, Hamas told international mediators that it was not able to fulfill Israel’s demand to free 40 of the remaining hostages in the first phase of a deal, including all the women as well as sick and elderly men, because it did not hold 40 living hostages who match those criteria for release.
Hamas spokesperson Osama Hamdan speaks with CNN about the militant group’s position on stalled ceasefire talks, whether Hamas regrets its decision to attack Israel given the mounting Palestinian death toll, and the leak earlier this week of messages from its chief in Gaza, Yahya Sinwar.
apple.news
Hamas said it would return hostages' bodies in the first phase of a truce, demanding a full IDF withdrawal from Gaza for the swap. Hamas demanded that the deal stipulate an Israeli withdraw from all areas of Gaza in the first week of the deal's implementation, and that if Israel does not do so, the release of hostages will be halted.
Well, this is starting to make more sense.
Hamas is also seeking a complete cessation of fire from the Israeli army and the withdrawal of the IDF from population centers on the first day of the cease-fire. On the third day, Hamas seeks an Israeli withdrawal from the
Salah al-Din road. In return, Hamas offers to release three hostages - living and dead - every three days, totaling 33.
So, potentially, if they (Hamas) had to return the equivalent of 1 “non-corpse” hostage daily, there might might not be enough of them to get through phase 1.
Israel says that the changes Hamas made to U.S. President Joe Biden's outline for a deal that would stop the war and free the hostages held in Gaza eliminate the pressure points intended to ensure that the terrorist group doesn't hold off the release of the hostages while the agreement is being carried out.
The changes include
new demands by Hamas concerning the withdrawal of IDF forces from Gaza at an earlier stage of the deal, before the release of
ALL the hostages.
Despite Israel's official position views Hamas' response as a rejection of the outline, Jerusalem will continue the negotiations and attempt to advance a deal that meets U.S. President Biden's original outline
apple.news
The senior Israeli official noted that Israel accepted Biden's proposal, but Hamas introduced "dozens of modifications that changed it beyond recognition."