Hamas leader Sinwar seeks guarantee Israel won't assassinate him after ceasefire deal implemented

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The Israeli government has indicated its willingness to accept the latest ceasefire deal with the Hamas terrorist organization in order to secure the release of the remaining 109 Israeli hostages being held in Gaza. However, negotiations, which began last week in Qatar and continued this week in Cairo, have not resulted in a deal. Hamas has systematically demanded an official end to the war and officially rejected the “bridging proposal” presented by the United States.

The Cairo government, a key mediator in the talks, stated that the Hamas top leader Yahya Sinwar "insists on guarantees for his safety and life," and seeks assurances that Israel will not assassinate him after the deal is implemented.

"We know Sinwar wants an agreement but remains steadfast in his conditions," the Cairo official said. "There could certainly be a positive shift, but negotiating with Sinwar is challenging."

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken, who arrived in the region last week to assist with the negotiations, left the Middle East without a deal the U.S. has warned that the deal could be “close to collapse.”

Sinwar, who is considered the mastermind behind the Oct. 7 invasion and massacre in southern Israel that started the war, has survived the war in Gaza by hiding in the terror group's vast underground tunnel network and moving locations frequently. Only a handful of Hamas aides currently where Sinwar is located and have been acting as messengers on his behalf.

The Israeli government has insisted that Israel Defense Forces will continue its military campaign until Hamas is dismantled as a military and political power and has vowed to capture or eliminate Sinwar.

The IDF has narrowly missed Sinwar on several occasions during the ongoing military operations in Gaza.

U.S. and Israeli officials previously discussed the possibility of allowing Hamas leaders in Gaza to leave the coastal enclave in exchange for the release of the Israeli hostages, both dead and alive, who were captured on Oct. 7 and kidnapped in Gaza. However, it remains unclear whether that is still an option.

Hamas has lost some 17,000 terrorist operatives and most of its rocket and missile capabilities have been depleted. Furthermore, Sinwar is increasingly isolated as much of the terror group's top leadership has been eliminated.

In early August, the Israeli military confirmed the elimination of Hamas’ top military commander Mohammed Deif, who co-planned the Oct. 7 terror attack with Sinwar and others. Deif’s deputy, Marwan Issa, was eliminated by the IDF in March.

In late July, Hamas’ political chief Ismail Haniyeh was assassinated while staying as the Iranian regime’s guest at a presumably safe location in the Iranian capital Tehran. While the Iranian regime and its terror proxies blame Israel for Haniyeh's death, the IDF has so far neither confirmed nor denied responsibility.

The Biden administration has warned that a failure to reach a deal could lead to a regional war.

Some pundits believe Sinwar may seek a full-scale regional war between the Iranian-led regional proxies and the Jewish state. Hezbollah, in Lebanon, has vowed a “revenge” attack on Israel for Haniyeh's death, as well as the elimination of top Hezbollah military commander Fuad Shukr in Beirut last month.