Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar, who is hiding in tunnels surrounded by Israeli hostages, has added a new demand for a ceasefire deal: his own survival.

The stipulation was communicated to US negotiators by an Egyptian official who said that Sinwar insists that Israel must commit not to assassinate him after the agreement.

Sinwar, who has stated that the tens of thousands of Gazans killed in the war are “necessary sacrifices,” is apparently not willing to risk his own hide. He values his life more than those of his own children, saying that his slain sons would only “infuse life into the veins of this nation, prompting it to rise to its glory and honor,” according to leaked messages obtained by the Wall Street Journal in June.

US officials believe that Sinwar favors a deal with Israel as he is stuck in tunnels with his stock of ammunition and supplies dwindling, according to Washington Post journalist David Ignatius.

But Sinwar is also “playing a waiting game” – in the hope that Iran or Hezbollah will attack Israel.

However, a deal seems elusive as Hamas refuses to tolerate any Israeli presence along the Philadephi Corridor. Israel cannot cede on this point as it must prevent Hamas from rearming itself and carrying out another October 7 style attack.

(YWN Israel Desk – Jerusalem)