Hamas chief in Gaza, Yahya Sinwar, is in disagreement with Ismail Haniyeh, leader of Hamas’s political bureau, on the demands the terror group should make in the ceasefire negotiations, The Wall Street Journal reported on Thursday.
According to the report, based on officials in the know, the two leaders hold conflicting opinions.
Sinwar is taking a hawkish stance, wishing to extort more concessions from Israel, while Haniyeh, who is leading the Cairo negotiations, is willing to concede to a pause of a month and a half in the war, during which a possibility of a durable ceasefire could be examined along with the IDF’s withdrawal from the Strip.
Hamas's demands for a ceasefire
Earlier on Thursday, Hamas announced in a press statement on its Telegram channel that its delegation was leaving the Cairo talks “for consultation with the leadership of the movement.”
Hamas’s exigencies for a ceasefire include installing a ceasefire before releasing any hostages, Israel’s withdrawal from the Strip, and allowing all Gazans to return to their homes. In addition, the terror group has stated it cannot ascertain which of the hostages are dead or alive.
The allegations of strife between the two Hamas chiefs come amid a report published earlier this week by Sky News Arabia claiming that Sinwar was the object of heavy criticism by the Hamas leadership abroad for initiating the October 7 attack without prior consultation.
Only five Hamas leaders were aware of the decision to attack. Haniyeh was not among them, according to the news outlet.
Reuters contributed to this article.