Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar is seeking a ceasefire deal, according to messages relayed to Israeli officials by Egyptian and Qatari mediators in recent days, ahead of a crucial summit later this week, an Israeli source with knowledge of the situation reported.
However, whether the Israeli Prime Minister is inclined to agree remains unclear.
CNN reported that according to two Israeli sources, Netanyahu’s allies have informed journalists and other government officials that the Israeli prime minister is prepared to make a deal, regardless of its impact on his governing coalition. However, the Israeli security establishment remains significantly more skeptical of Netanyahu’s willingness to strike an agreement, given the strong opposition from far-right ministers within his coalition.
“Nobody knows what the PM wants,” one Israeli source said.
It is clear that Netanyahu is going to face immense pressure from the US this week to agree to a ceasefire and hostage release deal.
According to an Israeli source, U.S. officials have conveyed to their Israeli counterparts that now is the time to secure a ceasefire to prevent a broader regional conflict.
The Hostage and Missing Families Forum, a significant voice in Israel, has urged both Israel and Hamas to finalize a hostage and ceasefire deal.
“A deal is the only way to bring all hostages home. Time is running out. The hostages have no more time to spare. A deal must be signed now!” the Forum stated on Thursday.
Meanwhile, Netanyahu’s coalition partners have expressed strong opposition to Israel making any deal with Hamas.
On Friday Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich denounced the proposed ceasefire deal as a “surrender deal.” In a post on the social media platform X, he urged the Prime Minister not to fall into this "trap" and to avoid any deviation, even the slightest, from the red lines he set recently, which Smotrich also described as "very problematic."
White House national security spokesperson John Kirby rebuked Smotrich’s remarks, stating that “his arguments are dead wrong.”
However, Netanyahu's political future is closely tied to his coalition partners—several of whom have already threatened to leave the government and cause its collapse if he agrees to the deal.
Israeli sources suggest that Netanyahu might consider calling for elections if a ceasefire deal is reached, enabling him to control the timing of such elections.
Mediators are scheduled to meet with Israeli and Hamas negotiating teams in Cairo or Doha next week. However, negotiations are already in progress, with technical delegations working "around the clock" to finalize key details before Thursday's meeting, according to an Israeli source.
The talks are taking place during an extremely tense period in the Middle East. Two high-profile assassinations in Lebanon and Iran in recent weeks, Fu’ad Shukr, the top military commander of Hezbollah and Hamas’ political leader Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran, have heightened fears of retaliation that could potentially escalate into a wider conflict. Israel has neither confirmed nor denied its involvement in the killing of Haniyeh.
There are indications that Iran may reconsider the scale and timing of its retaliation against Israel if a ceasefire in Gaza is reached, adding pressure on Israel to secure a deal and potentially avoid an all-out regional war.
Sinwar has not been seen in public since October 7 and is believed to be hiding in the tunnels beneath Gaza. While Haniyeh has played a key role in ceasefire talks, Sinwar's involvement has been more limited due to his difficulties in communicating with the outside world.
These talks are happening in the wake of an Israeli strike on a school and mosque compound that killed scores of people, triggering international outrage. Israel stated that the strike targeted a Hamas command center and resulted in the deaths of several fighters.
In response to the strike, U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris, the Democratic nominee for president, expressed concern on Saturday, stating that "far too many" civilians have been killed in Gaza and emphasized that a deal "needs to get done now."