Egypt to Hamas: You're Delusional and Suicidal
Egypt told Hamas that its belief that time was on its side was delusional and running contrary to Gazans begging for an end to the war.
Egypt reportedly got Hamas to agree to the Witkoff outline of a partial hostage deal by applying very heavy pressure on the terrorist group and convincing it that time was not on its side, according to a report today (Monday) by Kann News.
According to the report, Hamas believed that internal Israeli political dissension over the deal, with large protests being held just yesterday demanding an immediate deal to free the hostages and an end to the war, would ensure a deal on Hamas' terms. The possibility of another round of war between Israel and Iran also encouraged Hamas to refuse to become flexible on a hostage deal.
Egypt, afraid of a possible IDF operation in Gaza City, warned Hamas that it was engaging in "illusions" and that the Palestinian population in Gaza was desperately crying for a ceasefire.
Egypt also invited not only Hamas but also representatives of the other, smaller terrorist factions, so that the latter would pressure Hamas to agree to a deal. This was reportedly clinched by the arrival of Qatari Prime Minister al-Thani, who spoke to Hamas leaders in such a way as to get them to agree to a ceasefire on the terms as Witkoff originally proposed.
The question now is whether Prime Minister Netanyahu and his government will approve the proposal given that the cabinet already voted for a resolution which ostensibly rules out a partial deal and which instead demands the release of all the hostages, the disarmament of Hamas and the exiling of its leaders, and the establishment of a civil government which was run neither by Hamas nor by the Palestinian Authority and which would live in peace with Israel.