The New York Times newspaper on Sunday published an article profiling Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar who, according to US officials, is not in Rafah, but remains in the tunnels under Khan Yunis.
The article cited Israeli and American officials who claimed, among other things, that Sinwar is the main factor behind Hamas' opposition to a hostage release deal as long as it does not include a complete ceasefire. Hamas officials told the newspaper that Sinwar does not have the final say in the group’s decisions, but his leadership role in Gaza and his forceful personality have given him outsize importance in how Hamas operates.
Salah al-Din al-Awawdeh, a Hamas member who befriended Sinwar while they were both jailed in Israel, told the newspaper, “There’s no decision that can be made without consulting Sinwar. Sinwar isn’t an ordinary leader, he’s a powerful person and an architect of events. He’s not some sort of manager or director, he’s a leader.”
US and Israeli officials cited in the report said Sinwar is hiding near hostages, using them as human shields. American officials believe Israel has comparable or superior intelligence on the Hamas leader’s whereabouts.
Officials and analysts quoted in the report said that waiting for Sinwar’s approval has often slowed the negotiations. Israeli strikes have damaged much of Gaza’s communications infrastructure, and it has sometimes taken a day to get a message to Sinwar and a day to receive a response, said US officials and Hamas members.
According to Israeli and US intelligence officers quoted in the report, “Sinwar’s strategy is to keep the war going for as long as it takes to shred Israel’s international reputation and to damage its relationship with its primary ally, the United States.”