Hamas’s Sinwar said to surface, toughens stance in hostage, truce talks — report

Hamas’s Gaza leader Yahya Sinwar has renewed contact with other Hamas officials after days of reported silence to convey a hardened negotiating stance and insist on a permanent ceasefire, The Wall Street Journal reports, citing “officials familiar with the discussions.”

The tougher stance, according to the report, comes amid “signs of increased tension between Israel and the US.”

The officials say Sinwar’s demand that Israel “commit to discuss a permanent stop in the fighting” puts him “at odds with other Hamas officials.” Ismail Haniyeh, the Qatar-based politburo chief, is said to be more willing to accept the Paris framework, under which a six-week truce would come into effect and some 40 hostages would be released while talks would continue on other issues, including the possibility of a more permanent ceasefire and an Israeli military withdrawal from Gaza.

Egyptian officials cited in the report say Sinwar believes Hamas “has the upper hand in negotiations” given internal divisions in Israel, and “mounting US pressure on Israel to do more to alleviate the suffering of Gazans.”

A Hamas delegation left Cairo earlier today, where talks were being held and now appear to be stalled.

It was unclear whether they would return, Egyptian officials tell WSJ, with hopes the delegation may come back on Sunday.