After the assassination of Yahya Sinwar, the hardline leader of the Palestinian armed group Hamas, Israel and Hamas have begun contacting mediators involved in ceasefire negotiations. There are signs that the long-stalled ceasefire talks regarding the Gaza Strip may resume.
According to foreign media including the Times of Israel on the 24th (local time), the Israeli Prime Minister's Office announced that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu instructed David Barnea, head of the overseas intelligence agency Mossad, to travel to Doha, Qatar, to push forward negotiations for the release of hostages.
The Prime Minister's Office explained, "Participants will discuss various measures to resume negotiations for the release of hostages held by Hamas in light of recent developments." It added that Netanyahu "welcomes Egypt's willingness to promote hostage release negotiations."
According to AFP, Hamas also discussed a ceasefire proposal with Egypt. A senior Hamas official acknowledged that the Hamas delegation met with Egyptian authorities in Cairo to discuss a Gaza Strip ceasefire but stated, "The hostages held by the resistance forces will only be returned if the invasion stops and there is a complete withdrawal."
Regarding this, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken, who is on a Middle East tour, mentioned at a joint press conference after meeting with Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al-Thani, Prime Minister of Qatar, that mediators would meet within days to resume negotiations. Sheikh Mohammed also said at the press conference, "We have reestablished contact with the Hamas leadership following Sinwar's death," and expressed hope that "such talks will yield positive results."
The United States, Qatar, and Egypt have been making efforts to mediate a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas, but since Sinwar was elected as the successor to Ismail Haniyeh, who was assassinated in Iran last July, related discussions had effectively been halted. Sinwar was the mastermind behind the large-scale 'Al-Aqsa Flood' attack operation last October, which killed over 1,200 people and abducted more than 250, making him the top target of the Israeli military. With his death at the hands of the Israeli military, there is speculation that negotiations may proceed more smoothly going forward.
On the 22nd, Netanyahu met with Secretary Blinken, who had visited Israel, and said, "Eliminating Hamas leader Sinwar will have a positive impact on the return of hostages, achieving war objectives, and post-war plans." In response, Secretary Blinken said, "I believe Sinwar's death presents a crucial opportunity to bring back hostages, end the war, and ensure Israel's security."
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