On Sunday, Hamas declared its decision to abstain from participating in the upcoming negotiations summit, saying additional negotiation rounds serve to extend the war and lend credibility to Israel’s position. The summit is slated for later this week.
Israeli negotiators remain largely unfazed by Hamas’s proclamation, interpreting it as a strategic maneuver to strengthen their bargaining position. They anticipate ongoing psychological warfare tactics leading up to the summit, which is scheduled for Thursday in either Qatar or Cairo.
The Makan news outlet reported on Sunday that four days before the resumption of the talks, Israel and Hamas exchanged demands through mediators, some of which were described as new. Israel is demanding to receive in advance a list of the 33 living hostages who will be released in the first phase. It also demands a veto on the release of certain security prisoners.
Hamas, for its part, is demanding that the names of the security prisoners be chosen without imposing any veto. It also demands the removal of any form of supervision over the Gazans who will return to the northern Gaza Strip.
Informed sources say progress has been made in the dispute over the Philadelphi corridor and the Rafah crossing. Still, no tangible progress has been made on the remaining points of disagreement.
The Americans are excited over an Israeli official who told CNN that Egyptian and Qatari mediators recently conveyed a message to Israel that Hamas massacre mastermind Yahya Sinwar is interested in a ceasefire agreement. The report said that American officials told their Israeli counterparts that a deal must be reached now to avoid a regional war.
In turn, President Joe Biden said in an interview with CBS that there is still a chance to reach a ceasefire agreement in the Strip and prevent the spread of fighting in the Middle East.
On Sunday, Hamas urged mediators from the United States, Qatar, and Egypt to put into action the Gaza ceasefire proposal originally presented by Biden, rather than engaging in further talks.
In an official statement, the terrorist group declared: “We call upon the mediators to present an implementation plan for their previous proposal to our movement, which aligns with Biden’s vision and the UN Security Council resolution. They should compel Israel to adhere to this plan, instead of initiating additional negotiation rounds or introducing new proposals.”
Israeli right-wing pundit Meir Uziel objects to the very idea of negotiating with Hamas. He wrote in Maariv last March: “We have almost forgotten that the kidnapping of Israelis by Hamas terrorists is an injustice that has no justification in human behavior or the laws of war (which we are so careful to observe on our part). We take for granted negotiations in which we release terrorists from prisons in exchange for hostages.”
“Our enslavement to these twisted rules is compounded by the fact that there are forces in the Western world who accept the situation,” Uziel continued. “Not only demonstrators who call for the destruction of Israel but also leaders in the Western world who accept the situation, as if there is a certain naturalness to it. Yes, I mean Biden’s threats too.”
Israel Hayom noted Sunday night that Hamas’s refusal to attend the summit caught Israel by surprise. Israeli officials admit they were sure that Sinwar was interested in a deal, but the terrorist organization’s announcement conveyed that there is really nothing new in Hamas’s position.
Despite this, Israel will leave the door open. Sources familiar with the issue said that “Hamas’s reference has not yet been received through the usual channels,” meaning that the terrorist organization’s reference to the deal is not the official reference that Israel expects as part of the talks with the mediators.
ON NEGOTIATING WITH TERRORISTS
Many Western nations officially refuse to negotiate with terrorists, particularly regarding ransom payments during hostage situations. This stance aims to discourage future hostage-taking and acknowledges the uncertainty of hostage safety even after ransom payment. However, the policy doesn’t preclude all forms of negotiation.
In 2013, G8 leaders formalized this approach by agreeing not to pay ransoms to terrorists. Despite this, some Western countries have occasionally deviated from this policy. An investigation revealed that Al-Qaeda and its affiliated groups received at least $125 million from kidnappings between 2008 and 2013. European governments were found to be the primary source of these funds, often channeling payments through intermediaries and sometimes disguising them as aid for development.
