A senior Egyptian official highlighted a critical condition for reaching an agreement and the return of hostages: "Yahya Sinwar's insistence on guarantees for his safety and life," suggesting that Israel must commit to refraining from assassinating him after the agreement. This was reported in an article on the negotiations published by the English-language Ynet site affiliated with the Israeli newspaper Yedioth Ahronoth.
The newspaper, which did not disclose the identity of the Egyptian source, noted that the official explained that Sinwar is "delivering clear and unequivocal messages, aware that they will go through many Palestinian, American, and Egyptian hands before ultimately reaching senior Israeli officials." The report also mentioned a palpable sense of pessimism prevailing in the Egyptian government on Wednesday following discussions between U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken and President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi.
Additionally, the newspaper reported that Egyptian insiders on the negotiations conveyed that Blinken delivered a clear message to President el-Sisi and his Foreign Minister: from the U.S. perspective, the current round of talks is the last indirect engagement between Israel and Hamas. It was essential to reach a decisive agreement, and the sponsors (Egypt and Qatar) must persuade Hamas and Israel to adopt the American proposal without adding complications.
Cairo acknowledges the challenges hindering the resumption of talks, especially following the assassination of Ismail Haniya in Tehran and Sinwar's subsequent appointment. According to the report, Hamas, lacking a significant delegation for negotiations, rejected the idea of sending representatives to Cairo alongside the Israeli delegation to facilitate message exchanges via senior Egyptian intelligence officials.
At the same time, Cairo remained firm in its rejection of any proposal for Israeli presence along the Philadelphia Route, an issue still unresolved. A mediation proposal included creating underground monitoring facilities along the corridor, with Egypt building a steel barrier to combat smuggling of goods, weapons, and ammunition.
