Yahya al-Sinwar, head of the Palestinian Hamas movement in the Gaza Strip, attends a meeting with people at a hall on the seashore in Gaza City. Photo: Yousef Masoud / SOPA Images/Sipa via Reuters Connect
At a recent US State Department briefing, an American official told reporters that Yahya Sinwar, leader of the Hamas terrorist group in the Gaza Strip, is single-handedly holding up any progress on a potential hostage deal, according to reports.
The senior Biden administration official said that while Hamas’ political bureau has shown some willingness to compromise on the terror group’s most hardline positions, Sinwar’s maximalist demands continuously win out.
“Sinwar has made the decision he’d rather hold [the hostages] rather than securing a ceasefire, and that’s just the truth of the situation,” the official said.
The United States and 17 other countries issued a joint statement on Thursday calling for the immediate release of all hostages held by Hamas, reaffirming the international community’s commitment to resolving the crisis.
Amid the diplomatic maneuvers, Egypt reportedly presented a new hostage deal proposal to Hamas and Israel, signaling ongoing efforts to find a resolution to the protracted crisis in Gaza.
US negotiators have said in recent days that Israel has made significant concessions to try and engender a hostage deal with Hamas — and that Israel Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had “fully agreed” to the proposed deal currently being offered to Hamas.
Israeli media reported earlier on Thursday that Israeli officials are considering a proposed deal which would see 33 hostages held by Hamas released.
The Palestinian terrorist group kidnapped 253 people during its Oct. 7 massacre across southern Israel. About 130 of the abductees remain in captivity in Gaza, although it’s unclear how many of them are still alive.
