Sinwar Saves Bibi—For Now

June 13—Yahya Sinwar, Hamas’ murderous chief in Gaza, has forced that terrorist organization to alter the terms of the ceasefire deal worked out by negotiators with the group’s Qatar-based leadership and passed 14-0 June 10 by the UN Security Council without opposition, with Russia abstaining. In so doing, he has taken the equally murderous Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin “Bibi” Netanyahu off a political hot seat which could have led to the collapse of his coalition government, cutting a pathway toward peace in the region.

Had Hamas accepted the deal, as it was discussed in negotiations steered by America’s most able diplomat, CIA Director William Burns, it would have forced Bibi into announcing that he too would sign off on behalf of Israel—as he promised the U.S. The three-phase deal endorsed and passed by the UNSC was essentially the same as announced, at Burns' direction, by President “Sleepy Joe” Biden May 31 as the “Israeli plan.” It is the same as the plan rammed through Israel’s War Cabinet over Netanyahu’s initial objection, and, later, with his reluctant support.

Bibi has delayed issuing a formal endorsement of the UNSC plan, sources report, hoping that Sinwar would force changes in it, thus providing him a way out, which is what happened. Sinwar’s alterations have allowed Netanyahu’s spokespeople to say that Hamas has effectively rejected the plan Bibi approved, without him having to say whether he actually endorsed it. His endorsement would have caused the lunatic religious zealots National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir and Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich to quit, leading to the collapse of Netanyahu’s coalition government and early elections.

Despite the psychotic initial elation over the “success” of the June 8 hostage rescue mission that freed only 4 hostages, it is beginning to sink in that that success came at a horrific cost in lives to Palestinians, and that such “rescues” put the lives of the remaining hostages at risk. As family members continue to demonstrate against the murderer Netanyahu, they cry out to the nation and to the world that the only hope for the return of their loved ones who are still alive will come from a ceasefire deal and an end to the war in Gaza, which in turn, can only happen if Bibi is removed.

In proposing the Sinwar-backed changes, Hamas has reaffirmed its position: a ceasefire must lead to a permanent end to hostilities in Gaza, the withdrawal of Israeli forces from all areas of Gaza, the reconstruction of Gaza, and the release of Palestinian prisoners being held in Israel.

Hamas has proposed the deal stipulate the following timetable in Phase 1 of the deal: On Day 1, a complete cession of fire from the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) and the withdrawal of the IDF from population centers. In exchange, Hamas would begin returning hostages. If the IDF does not withdraw, the release of hostages will be halted.

On the third day, Hamas seeks an Israeli withdrawal from the Salah al-Din Road. In return, Hamas offers to release three hostages—living and dead—every three days, totaling 33.

Sources in Hamas told Haaretz that “The amendments submitted are intended to ensure that the withdrawal and cease-fire be established in the first phase, and that Israel will therefore not be able to evade the implementation of all stages of the deal and return to fighting once all the hostages are released.”

Hamas also opposes any preconditions on which Palestinian prisoners could be released from Israeli jails in return, opposing as well as their distancing from Gaza, and demands that their release be based on the amount of time they have spent in Israeli prisons. Hamas further demands that China, Russia and Türkiye be guarantors of the deal. According to the State Department, the U.S. will guarantee Israel's compliance, while Qatar and Egypt will guarantee that Hamas and other militant groups operating in Gaza comply with its terms.

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken confirms that Hamas has proposed “numerous changes” in its response to the UNSC cease-fire proposal, and that while some of the changes are workable, some are not. Blinken says some of Hamas’ proposals in their response go well beyond what it had previously accepted in negotiations.

“If Hamas had been smart, it would not have listened to Sinwar, but would have accepted the deal,” said a source. “The game here is to get rid of Netanyahu, as quickly as possible, before he can murder more Palestinians and launch a major war against Hezbollah on the West Bank. The longer he stays in office, the more people will die. This deal is a poison pill for Bibi. Force him to swallow it.”

This and other sources say that most of the changes proposed could have been worked through in discussions to implement the plan. Paramount was to not create a way for Bibi to avoid his endorsement of the UNSC deal. The fact that Sinwar has once again provided his alleged nemesis with a way out and a way to continue the killing has raised further speculation as to whether the Hamas Gaza chief is more than a politically stupid terrorist.

“Israel created Hamas as a force with money and authority in Gaza,” said a source. “They put Sinwar in power there. They have assets inside the Hamas organization, including in its leadership. The way he is acting, and has acted in the past, causes one to wonder if Sinwar is not himself an asset for Bibi. How come, for example, Sinwar, presumed at large "somewhere" in the tunnels beneath Gaza, always seems to escape attack and elimination by the IDF, yet they say he is their number one target? Strange isn’t it?”

With each passing day with Bibi still in office and no ceasefire, Palestinians are dying. In a statement issued June 12, Martin Griffiths, UN Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator, said that more than one million people in Gaza are “expected to face death and starvation by the middle of July.”

Burns, meanwhile, is continuing to try to work out a deal, in talks with mediators from Qatar and Egypt, as well as with Hamas and the Israelis. He remains committed to ending the war as soon as possible, and to preventing an explosion on the West Bank. Inside the Biden Administration, the people who oppose Bibi are  counting on the reluctance of the IDF command to get involved in a war with Hezbollah, which organization is a far superior fighting force than Hamas.

Hezbollah has sophisticated weapons and possesses the largest missile and drone arsenal of any non-state entity—greater than many states. And, they have the capability to use them, as they showed June 12, firing hundreds of rockets into northern Israel after an Israeli airstrike on the village of Jwaya in south Lebanon that killed at least four people, including Hezbollah field commander Taleb Abdallah, the most senior Hezbollah commander to be killed by Israel since the start of the war.

Hezbollah sources told Haaretzthat the group had launched its most extensive attack on Israel since the start of the war after Abdallah’s death. The IDF said 215 rockets were intercepted, but many were not.

“Maybe Sinwar wants a war against Hezbollah, which organization Hamas generally hates,” said the source. “But all that means is that more Palestinians will die. The key now is to put the Gaza ceasefire deal back on track, if possible, and put Bibi in the political hot seat again. Things can still happen.”