The leader of the Palestinian Islamist organization Hamas in the Gaza Strip, Yehya al-Sinwar, still has three demands in the current negotiation offer for a hostage deal, according to a media report.
He continues to demand a guaranteed end to the war, a source close to the Hamas leader told the Israeli television station Channel 12 on Thursday evening. Israel has so far denied this.
Sinwar reportedly wants a written commitment for an “unconditional end to the fighting”.
According to the broadcaster, al-Sinwar is also demanding that Israel does not prevent the return to the West Bank of Palestinian prisoners who are to be released in return for hostages kidnapped from Israel.
According to the latest draft of a deal, Israel wants to send those serving life sentences to the Gaza Strip or abroad.
Furthermore, the Hamas leader in the Gaza Strip wants details of materials that Israel will not allow to be delivered to the coastal area for reconstruction.
According to the report, the assumption in Israel is that Hamas will not give a clearly negative response to the proposal due to international pressure. Egyptian mediators, with US support, are currently trying to reach an agreement.
The militant Islamist organization Hamas had previously announced that it would once again send a delegation to Egypt to conclude the ongoing, indirect negotiations with Israel on an agreement to release hostages and a ceasefire.
The state-run Egyptian television station al-Qahera News reported that a Hamas delegation is due to arrive in Cairo within the next two days to continue the negotiations.
The Israeli government has announced a rapid start to a controversial offensive in Rafah in the south of the Gaza Strip on the border with Egypt if no agreement is reached.
