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Yahya Sinwar rejected Gaza ceasefire as bait for regional war against Israel – Israel News

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Yahya Sinwar rejected Gaza ceasefire as bait for regional war against Israel – Israel News

Ousted Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar turned down the chance to survive and leave the Gaza Strip in exchange for allowing Egypt to negotiate a ceasefire deal for hostages in Gaza instead of Hamas, the Wall Street Journal he reported on Monday, citing US, Arab and Hamas officials.

Arab negotiators reportedly offered Sinwar the deal, which he refused, despite it sparking an ongoing war in Gaza, where Hamas-led health authorities claimed a high civilian toll.

Sinwar, according to the paper, had hoped that the war his Oct. 7 attacks had ignited would lead Iran and its proxies to a regional war with the Jewish state.

“I’m not under siege, I’m on Palestinian soil,” Sinwar allegedly told Arab mediators in a defiant, so far unreported message shortly after the war began.

Sinwar had reportedly bet on the high civilian death toll and told Hamas officials based outside Gaza to refuse concessions, as global pressure on Israel would force Jerusalem to accept tough terms.

Palestinian supporters of Hamas attend an anti-Israel demonstration in the presence of Yahya Sinwar, leader of Hamas in the Gaza Strip, in Gaza City on May 25, 2021 (Credit: SHUTTERSTOCK)

In September, after Hamas executed six hostages and Israel’s attack on Hezbollah, Sinwar had predicted that the terrorist group would be pushed to make concessions for a ceasefire agreement, according to the report. He reportedly warned Hamas officials that despite the pressure they would face to reach a deal, they should not make any concessions.

Sinwar’s postmortem plans

Sinwar, knowing that the IDF was closing in on him and seeing much of Hamas torn apart by a year of war, left a message for his followers after his death. Knowing that his removal would likely lead to a new Israel offering new deals, he allegedly told his officials that Hamas would be in a stronger position to reach a deal, according to Arab mediators.

He recommended that after his death, Hamas appoint a council of leaders to govern and manage the transition after his death, mediators said.

Israel’s Fatal Mistakes

The report also revealed that the Israeli leadership had chosen not to take out Sinwar before his October 7 attacks despite great opportunities.

Israeli sources involved in the plans to take out the terrorist leader told the paper that officials disagreeing with the operations and bad timing had led to Sinwar’s survival.

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Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had reportedly authorized two strikes to remove Sinwar and Mohammed Deif, both of which failed.

Former Prime Minister Naftali Bennett had also been anxious to eliminate the terrorist leader, sources told the paper. However, officials had denied the plans, claiming that Sinwar was focused on governing the Gaza Strip and posed no real threat to Israel.

In 2022, Bennett again tried to persuade his cabinet of the need to attack Sinwar, and again officials refuted that Hamas could be a real danger to Israel.

On October 7, 2023, Hamas terrorists invaded southern Israel and massacred more than 1200 people. During their terror campaign of murder, looting and sexual violence, the terrorists kidnapped more than 250 people. While some of the hostages were released in a ceasefire deal in November, more than 100 remain captive in Gaza, some of whom have been killed by their captors.



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