Biden says Haniyeh assassination ‘won’t help’ hostage deal

They added that he was seen as someone who sought to reach a deal, while the likes of Mohammed Dave or Yahya Sinwar advocated a more extreme and uncompromising approach in negotiations.

Israeli intelligence, on the other hand, says the problem is more complicated. Intelligence officials have believed for some time that Haniyeh has not pushed for negotiations but has in some cases hardened Hamas’s position.

From this perspective, Haniyeh’s ouster may help achieve the agreement more quickly. In addition, Israeli security officials estimate that the assassination may put pressure on Hamas leadership outside the Gaza Strip, which, in their view, has so far been immune to Israeli attacks.

Moreover, Israeli and American sources estimate that, despite Israel’s careful avoidance of official responsibility for the assassination in Tehran, the attack on Haniyeh could bring advantages to the Israeli leadership – following a series of blows to Hamas, including the confirmed killing last month of its military wing leader, Mohammad Dave – which would make it easier for Netanyahu to sign the deal and remove the clauses that were holding it back.

Sources familiar with the details of the negotiations said on Friday that the talks were not frozen and were still ongoing. According to them, “There were talks today, yesterday and tomorrow to discuss many core issues, but it is clear that these talks are more negotiations between Israel and the mediators, and Hamas will not be involved in the meantime. After Israel responded to the mediators on Sunday, it is clear that everyone is waiting for Hamas’s response.”

A senior Israeli official added: “Negotiations are ongoing and an Israeli delegation is likely to travel to Egypt on Saturday. The final conclusion of the agreement depends on putting pressure on Hamas, and now there are fewer people and opinions to consider.”