Israeli report: These are Sinwar’s demands before negotiating a hostage deal

A report by Israel’s Channel 12 revealed on Tuesday that Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar recently sent a message to Qatari mediators regarding his conditions before any possible ceasefire agreement in Gaza.

The channel reported that Sinwar is seeking a guarantee that Israel will not attempt to assassinate him during negotiations regarding a ceasefire and the release of hostages held by Hamas in the Strip.

The Israeli channel did not clarify the source of this information, but confirmed that Sinwar wants to obtain “immunity” from any possible attack that he may be subjected to from the Israeli side during the talks.

The Times of Israel reported that the Qatari mediators responded to Sinwar by stating that reaching an agreement with Israel and returning the held hostages is a priority.

Barak Ravid, a correspondent for the American website Axios, quoted a senior Israeli official as saying on Monday that information had reached the Hebrew state indicating that Sinwar had renewed his contacts with representatives of the movement in Qatar in recent days.

The Israeli official confirmed that Sinwar had sent several messages to Hamas representatives in Qatar in recent days.

According to the Israeli source, it is not possible to determine when Sinwar sent these messages specifically, but he confirmed that it is not clear whether Sinwar has changed or modified his positions on the kidnapped deal.

The New York Times referred to statements by American officials indicating that Sinwar has become more steadfast in his position after a year of conflict in Gaza, and is determined to see Israel involved in a wider regional conflict.

According to the New York Times, the officials reported that Sinwar’s position has become more hardline in recent weeks, and American negotiators now believe that Hamas does not intend to reach an agreement with Israel.