Mika Kobi, a former Israeli Security Agency (Shabak) official, confirmed that there are difficulties in communication with the outside world for Hamas leader in Gaza, Yahya Al-Sinwar, which complicates the progress of any deal. Kobi, who was one of those who previously interrogated Al-Sinwar, told the Israeli newspaper "Maariv" that "no one interferes with Al-Sinwar in the decisions related to the captives. Despite being a member of Hamas, he acts independently, does not coordinate with any party, and makes his decisions on his own."
He added: "Al-Sinwar does not listen to the political leadership of Hamas abroad, even though Ismail Haniyeh and Khaled Meshaal are supposed to be the leaders and the top commanders of the movement – but in practice, Al-Sinwar is the one who decides the moves, simply because he is the strong type who does not see anyone else." Kobi stated that "Al-Sinwar does what suits him and serves his interests."
He explained that the Mossad transmits messages from Qatar and Egypt and sends messages to Hamas through them, while Hamas relays the messages to Al-Sinwar. The waiting period is always until Al-Sinwar responds to these messages, and Kobi remarked: "To agree to a deal or reject it, you must obtain Al-Sinwar's approval."
Kobi describes Al-Sinwar's dark and lethal character, revealing this just as the Israeli army has eliminated other senior Hamas leaders and has also reached close to Al-Sinwar. He added: "Israeli security forces were close to Al-Sinwar, but they did not act because they did not want to harm the captives close to him. They are essentially the only supporter and shield of this leader; they are his human shield."
