The Hayom newspaper has reported that Mohammed Al-Sinwar, the current leader of Hamas in the Gaza Strip, is viewed as a big hurdle in the ongoing prisoner exchange negotiations between Israel and Hamas. The report suggests that Al-Sinwar is regarded as a key figure in facilitating the talks but has made it increasingly difficult for Israel to secure concessions from Hamas.
According to the Hebrew-language media, recent advances in the negotiations have been overshadowed by Al-Sinwar’s reluctance to provide a list of living prisoners. Sources involved in the negotiations noted that for several weeks, Al-Sinwar has been unwilling to share this critical information, leading to frustration among Israeli security and political officials.
As outlined by Hayom, the negotiations are reportedly at an impasse due to two main sticking points: first, Hamas has not provided a list of prisoners it is willing to release during the first phase of the exchange, and second, there remains a lack of consensus on the mechanism for determining the number of Palestinians to be released in exchange for each Israeli prisoner.
Israel maintains that gaining access to a list of prisoners is foundational for any progress in this process. They assert that without this list, other contentious issues cannot be effectively addressed. Conversely, Hamas, under Al-Sinwar’s leadership, has emphasized that they will not share any information without a clear understanding of the agreed-upon exchange mechanism.
Additionally, Hamas has shifted its position in the negotiations, arguing for a definitive endpoint to the agreement instead of its previous demand for an end to hostilities prior to the exchange.
The report also highlighted that the Israeli military is communicating privately to cabinet ministers that initiating the first phase of the exchange could lead to a full completion of the process, where all prisoners would eventually be exchanged. Despite preparations to accept the potentially high costs associated with the exchange, ministers are adamant about not consenting to an end of the war, viewing this requirement as a barrier to advancing any agreement.
A senior minister within Prime Minister Netanyahu’s cabinet expressed to Hayom that discussions have focused more on issues that could jeopardize the negotiations rather than on how to achieve a successful agreement.