The American newspaper "The Wall Street Journal" reported on Thursday that a dispute arose between the head of Hamas' political bureau Ismail Haniyeh and Hamas leader Yahya Al-Sinwar due to the latter's demands in the negotiations. The newspaper, citing informed sources, stated that Al-Sinwar requested additional achievements in the deal, while Haniyeh was satisfied with the items on the agenda.
According to the sources, Haniyeh was ready to accept a ceasefire for six weeks without a commitment from Israel to a complete halt to military operations in the sector, as he believed it would be possible to utilize the ceasefire days, with the help of mediators, to reach an agreement. In contrast, The Wall Street Journal indicated that Al-Sinwar believes Hamas is in a strong position.
Yahya Al-Sinwar, who had been largely isolated from the discussions until recently, is demanding that Israel commit to discussing a permanent ceasefire, which puts him at odds with other officials in Hamas, according to officials familiar with the talks. Egyptian officials assert that Al-Sinwar believes Hamas currently has the upper hand in the negotiations, citing internal political divisions within Israel, including cracks in Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's grip on power and increasing American pressure on Israel to make greater efforts to alleviate the suffering of Gaza residents.
These tensions have emerged in recent days, including a speech delivered by U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris on Sunday, in which she urged both sides to agree to an immediate ceasefire for six weeks, delivering one of the strongest rebukes to Israel from the administration so far. U.S. and Arab officials have been working for weeks to reach an agreement between Israel and Hamas for a six-week truce before the start of Ramadan on Sunday.
