Recent developments suggest Hamas may be softening its stance on ceasefire negotiations with Israel. This is potentially due to the extensive damage inflicted on Gaza during Israel’s nine-month offensive, and the increased pounding by the IDF of the two southern cities of Rafah and Khan Younis, where the Gazan Hamas leadership is hiding underground, most notably Yahya Sinwar. This shift in position has been noted by officials in both the Middle East and the United States, The Associated Press reported on Monday.
In a significant change, Hamas appears to have dropped its long-held demand for Israel to commit to ending the war as part of any ceasefire agreement. This move has sparked renewed optimism for progress in internationally mediated talks.
While reports state that Hamas might be softening its terms, Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich warned Monday that the current proposal for a hostage deal would constitute “a defeat and humiliation for Israel and a victory for Sinwar.” He warned it “will sentence to death 90 hostages who are not part of the deal, and it will result in thousands of murdered people who will die in the next massacre by Sinwar and Hamas.”
Addressing Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Smotrich said, “Mr. Prime Minister, this is not the complete victory [you promised]. It is the complete failure. We will not be part of a deal to surrender to Hamas.”
Meanwhile. let’s not jump the gun. Nothing is final or set in stone yet but if it is true that Hamas has grown war weary then it means Netanyahu’s military strategy is working. If that’s the case, why stop now?