The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) which were operating in south Gaza were not specifically seeking to target him, but a body recovered at the scene suggests he may have been killed. Israeli sources and media are saying there is a “high likelihood” Sinwar has been killed.

“At this stage, the identity of the terrorists cannot be confirmed,” the Israeli army and air force said in a joint statement as speculation mounts, also as gruesome photographs of a badly mangled body circulate widely online.

The Washington Post writes that “A body, believed to be Sinwar’s, is being brought to Israel for DNA analysis, according to an Israeli official who spoke on the condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak publicly.” According to more details:

“We have his DNA from when he was in jail,” Israeli Ambassador to the United Nations Danny Danon said in an interview in September, at a previous moment when Israeli authorities believed they might have killed the Hamas leader. Danon said at the time that DNA analysis had been run on previous bodies, but that the testing had not been a match.

According to Israeli journalist Nadav Eyal, “A reserve IDF force operating near Rafah spotted three armed men in a building, which was then hit by a drone/tank shell.”

He describes that “A man resembling Sinwar and a Hamas regiment commander were found dead with a substantial amount of cash and weapons. This was part of the ongoing IDF operation, not a targeted assassination. No hostages are believed to have been present, but the ground is being inspected to confirm.”

The Israeli police says its forensics team has identified Sinwar's body according to pictures of his teeth that were taken by soldiers on the ground and compared to photos of his teeth Israel has. DNA test is still ongoing https://t.co/XNx5DlJ6Lk

— Barak Ravid (@BarakRavid) October 17, 2024

While Israel’s military is urging caution and patience amid all the rumors, if confirmed it would be a huge win for Israel, and major setback for Hamas:

Army chief Lieutenant General Herzi Halevi vowed to “find him (Sinwar), attack him” and force Hamas to find another leader.

Sinwar — Hamas’s leader in Gaza since 2017 — has not been seen since the October 7 attack, the deadliest in Israel’s history.

It would certainly mark the biggest development of the conflict since the assassination of Hamas political leader Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran on July 31st of this year.

Israeli army publishes footage of what it says is the operation that “led to the assassination of Yahya Sinwar”…

الجيش الإسرائيلي ينشر صورا لما قال إنها للعملية التي "أدت لاغتيال يحيى السنوار" #غزة #قناة_العربية #فلسطين pic.twitter.com/XDlh3gjILp

— العربية عاجل (@AlArabiya_Brk) October 17, 2024

A prominent open source analysis X account, OSINTdefender, writes that “One of the Images claimed to show the Body of Yahya Sinwar, following an Israeli Strike earlier today on Southern Gaza. With Facial Features as well as his Watch appearing to be an Exact Match to the Leader of Hamas.”

Strong rumors of his death have been circulating in Arabic media as well.

UPDATE: Israel is "close" to confirming Yahya Sinwar DNA, but "NOT FINAL" a source tells @AlMonitor . 2 Sources told Kan Sinwar has been killed. No comment from Hamas yet https://t.co/B5cMpTXFEr

— Joyce Karam (@Joyce_Karam) October 17, 2024

Below is a quick review of his bio, via Al Jazeera:

• Yahya Sinwar was born in the Khan Younis refugee camp in southern Gaza in 1962.
• His family were refugees from Majdal Askalan, or what became Ashkelon, after the creation of Israel in 1948.
• Sinwar spent 22 years of his life in Israeli prisons, for allegedly planning the abduction and killing of two Israeli soldiers in 1988. He was freed in 2011 as part of a prisoner exchange deal.
• An Israeli government assessment of his years in detention described him as “ruthless” and “powerful”.
• He used his time in jail to become fluent in Hebrew.
• Sinwar succeeded Ismail Haniyeh as Hamas’s leader in Gaza in 2017. He became the group’s leader after Israel assassinated Haniyeh in July.
• After the October 7 attack in southern Israel, which he is accused of masterminding, the Israeli military described him as a “dead man walking”.

There are approximately 100,000 Israelis that have been unable to return to their homes in northern Israel for months, and Netanyahu has become convinced that the only way that they can be safely returned to their homes is to force Hezbollah out of southern Lebanon.  But of course Hezbollah will not go willingly.  In fact, Hezbollah has warned that there will be “all-out war” if IDF forces attempt to enter southern Lebanon.

Unfortunately, any hope for a peaceful resolution appears to be gone and we are being told that the Israeli government has decided to launch a military operation in southern Lebanon “as soon as international legitimacy and IDF manpower” allow for it.  The following comes from a Times of Israel article entitled “PM said to warn Israel faces ‘large-scale confrontation’ with Hezbollah in near future”…

According to Channel 13 news, Netanyahu believes that Israel is headed for an inevitable all-out confrontation with Hezbollah, as a diplomatic solution that could bring an end to the near-daily cross-border clashes with the Lebanese terror group remains elusive.

Citing an unnamed Netanyahu associate, Channel 13 reported that no timeline had been established for the expected confrontation, which has been promised by top officials for months, and as such, it could be in weeks or months from now.

The assessment that the skirmishes with Hezbollah on the northern border, which have led to the displacement of tens of thousands of Israelis, would not be solved through a diplomatic solution was shared by the security chiefs, the report stated, and as such it was agreed that a military operation should be launched as soon as international legitimacy and IDF manpower allowed for it.

So many people are going to die on both sides.

But it has become clear that nobody will ever be able to persuade Hezbollah to stop firing at targets in northern Israel.

So a decision has been made that it is time to take action.

Defense Minister Yoav Gallant has been against a military campaign in southern Lebanon, and there are reports that he may soon be fired by Netanyahu…

There is currently widespread speculation in Israeli media that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will soon terminate Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, which would constitute a monumental reshuffle of his cabinet. The two have reportedly been clashing over war strategy, especially on what to do about the crisis in northern Israel, an area which has come under daily rocket and drone attack from Lebanese Hezbollah.

“The drafts of the agreement have already been drawn up … Netanyahu is preparing for Gallant’s dismissal in the near future … Galant will be fired by Netanyahu,” Israeli news outlet Ynet reported Monday.

Gallant is reportedly wanting to avoid immediate escalation of the war with Hezbollah in the north, reportedly clashing with the army’s Northern Command chief Ori Gordin, who is calling for the government to approve a large-scale operation in Lebanon to destroy Hezbollah.

It is very difficult to succeed when everyone is not pulling in the same direction.

Either Gallant has to go or Gordin has go to.

And it appears that Gallant is going to be the one that will be forced out.

But I do not expect the IDF to launch a military operation in southern Lebanon quite yet.

Netanyahu is scheduled to address the UN General Assembly later this month, and during that address I expect him to publicly make his case for military action against Hezbollah…

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is scheduled to travel to the United States later this month to deliver an address to the U.N. General Assembly on Sept. 27, his office announced on Sunday.

The Israeli premier is slated to leave for New York on Sept. 24 for meetings with world leaders on the sidelines of the event, according to the statement.

Netanyahu is to address the 79th Session of the U.N. General Assembly three days later, on Friday afternoon, and fly back that Sunday.

I do not think that all-out war will erupt before Netanyahu delivers that speech.

But it may come fairly soon afterwards.

Interestingly, this will be the first time that Netanyahu has spoken to the UN General Assembly after the Palestinians were granted a seat among the member states…

Palestinians took a seat among member states at the UN General Assembly on Tuesday, a new right accorded to the Palestinian Authority’s delegation despite it not being a full member of the body.

In May, an overwhelming majority of the General Assembly asserted that Palestinians deserved full membership, a move that has been blocked by the United States, which along with Israel says recognition of Palestinian statehood must come through a peace agreement.

The General Assembly granted the delegation certain new rights in a resolution, which still excludes it from being able to vote or be a member of the Security Council.

The coming war is going to be absolutely horrifying.

In the aftermath of the war, I expect that there will be a full-fledged Palestinian state and that they will be given full membership at the United Nations.

Needless to say, that will have enormous implications for all of us.

But before we get to that, the entire region is going to be facing an apocalyptic war. You see, the truth is that Israel isn’t just going to be fighting Hezbollah.

Israel will be fighting an alliance of Islamic nations and terror groups, and more fighters are pouring into the region with each passing day.

In fact, it is being reported that large numbers of Houthi fighters have been arriving in Syria…

A Houthi source confirmed the arrival of Houthi fighters from Yemen to Syrian territory, according to reports.

The confirmation comes after a Syrian source told i24NEWS’ Hebrew channel that the Iran-backed Yemeni group was on its way to Israel’s border with Syria in the Golan Heights.

The Yemeni armed group claimed that “this is a prelude to a new phase of escalation against Israel.”

Both sides are preparing for war, and this is going to be the sort of war where both sides don’t hold anything back.

The death and destruction that we will witness will shock the entire globe.

We have been warned that this war would be coming for a very long time, and now we are almost there.

So many lives have already been lost since last October, and now the entire Middle East stands right on the brink of a complete and utter nightmare.

Michael’s new book entitled “Why” is available in paperback and for the Kindle on Amazon.com, and you can subscribe to his Substack newsletter at michaeltsnyder.substack.com.

Now, after seemingly rushing to align with a narrative that has repeatedly failed, Harris stated, “I will always give Israel the ability to defend itself, in particular as it relates … to Iran and any threat that Iran and its proxies pose to Israel. But we must have a two-state solution where we can rebuild Gaza, where the Palestinians have security, self-determination and the dignity they so rightly deserve.”

This rhetoric is not only naive but dangerously out of touch with the realities on the ground.

David Friedman, former U.S. ambassador to Israel, bluntly declared, “After Oct. 7th, the two-state became a dead letter. A Palestinian state between Israel and Jordan will destabilize both countries and bring only additional terror and misery.”

His words underscore the futility of pursuing a two-state solution in the current climate, where Palestinian leadership has shown nothing but rejectionism towards peace.

Friedman further criticized Harris, asserting, “Vice President Harris should stop parroting failed theories and trying to force a square peg into a round hole. She should empower Israel to reach a just and workable solution on its own and not interfere in matters where she is neither competent nor well-informed.”

This is a call for a more pragmatic approach, one that recognizes the complexities of the situation rather than clinging to outdated ideologies.

Jonathan Conricus, a senior fellow at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies, added, “The so-called two-state solution may have been possible to implement 31 years ago, but four straight Palestinian rejections of Israeli peace offers have made it clear that the current Palestinian leadership does not aspire to end the conflict and achieve peace.”

This stark reality should serve as a wake-up call for those in power who continue to push for a solution that has long been rejected by the very parties it aims to help.

Polling data reveals a troubling trend, as Conricus noted: “Polling of the Palestinian population in Gaza and Palestinian Authority-controlled areas shows clear popular Palestinian support for Hamas, signaling that the Palestinian population supports the genocidal vision of annihilating Israel through jihad, as demonstrated by Hamas on Oct. 7.”

This is not just a political issue; it’s a matter of life and death, and the implications of Harris’ stance could be catastrophic.

Joel Rubin, a former deputy assistant secretary of state, acknowledged the challenges, stating, “The two-state solution is on life support right now, but just because this is a difficult moment to envision a peaceful endgame between Israel and the Palestinians that’s rooted in diplomatic compromise, that does not mean it should not be the goal.”

Rubin also pointed out, “We have seen it achieved with Arab states. There is no reason that it can’t be done with the Palestinians as long as the political will is there, extremism is rooted out and security arrangements are solid. So, for Vice President Harris to make this a priority is an inherently pro-Israel position, one that seeks to provide Israel with the long-term security and stability that it still clearly does not have.”

This perspective highlights the need for a more nuanced approach, one that prioritizes Israel’s security while addressing the complexities of Palestinian aspirations.

In a previous interview, Harris reiterated her commitment, saying, “I remain committed since I’ve been on Oct. 8 to what we must do to work toward a two-state solution where Israel is secure and in equal measure the Palestinians have security and self-determination and dignity.”

Her commitment seems to ignore the stark realities of the current geopolitical landscape. The Biden administration’s funding for the Palestinian Authority (PA) raises further concerns.

Itamar Marcus, director of Palestinian Media Watch, revealed, “The American and European funding boosts the Palestinian Authority budget by $600 million. The Palestinian Authority pays the salaries of imprisoned terrorists and the family members of the martyrs, and the amount comes to $300 million a year.”

This financial support, which indirectly funds terrorism, is a glaring contradiction to the administration’s stated goals of peace and stability.

Moreover, Mahmoud Abbas, the PA president, has made inflammatory statements, declaring, “America is the plague, and the plague is America” and “We implement Shari’a law: victory or martyrdom.”

Such rhetoric from a supposed moderate leader only serves to highlight the futility of the Biden-Harris administration’s approach to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

The endorsement of a Palestinian state by Vice President Harris is not just a political miscalculation; it is a dangerous gamble that could have far-reaching consequences for both Israel and the broader Middle East. As the 2024 election looms, one must question whether this administration is truly committed to peace or merely playing politics as usual.

The Gaza Health Ministry has said that an 10-month-old infant in the central city of Deir al-Balah “who has not received any polio vaccine dose” tested positive for the virus. The baby has since reportedly been paralyzed by the type 2 polio virus, which can be fatal. The ministry has since indicated that “a number of children” have presented with symptoms consistent with polio.

On Tuesday European Union foreign policy chief Josep Borrell has warned that the spread of polio threatens all children in Gaza. He is calling for an urgent polio ceasefire.

Borrell has announced the need for an “immediate 3-day humanitarian ceasefire” to enable vaccination, and emphasized that “Our humanity demands it.” He said that the World Health Organization (WHO) and UNICEF must be allowed full access to be able to vaccinate the Gaza Strip and this should happen “independent of wider negotiations.”

These efforts have already begun, but distributing vaccines in an active war zone and with bombs falling will certainly be an uphill battle. The New York Times details of where the campaign stands:

More than 1.2 million doses of the polio vaccine arrived in Gaza on Monday, in preparation for an expansive effort to inoculate more than 640,000 Palestinian children and curb a potential outbreak, the United Nations, Israel and health authorities in Gaza said.

…UNICEF, the U.N. children’s fund, said it was delivering the vaccines in cooperation with the World Health Organization, the main U.N. agency that aids Palestinians, UNRWA; and other groups. UNRWA officials said they hoped to deliver the first vaccines to Gazan children starting on Saturday.

But the campaign will be “a very difficult operation and its success will depend very much on the conditions on the ground at the time,” Sam Rose, a senior official from the agency, said at a news briefing on Monday.

United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres has been calling for a voluntary ceasefire to allow health workers to conduct their work.

For weeks now he has implored Israeli and Palestinian forces to lay down their arms to at least allow the Strip to be vaccinated. “I am appealing to all parties to provide concrete assurances right away guaranteeing humanitarian pauses for the campaign,” he previously told reporters at the UN headquarters in New York.

The quick spread of polio threatens all children in Gaza, already weakened by displacement, deprivation & malnourishment.

I urge an immediate 3-day humanitarian ceasefire to enable vaccination by @WHO & @UNICEF – independent of wider negotiations.

Our humanity demands it.

— Josep Borrell Fontelles (@JosepBorrellF) August 27, 2024

“Let’s be clear: The ultimate vaccine for polio is peace and an immediate humanitarian cease-fire,” Guterres stressed. “But in any case, a polio pause is a must.”

At this moment the IDF military’s campaign to rescue the hostages is still in full force, and there is unlikely to be a complete pause in fighting; however, it’s possible there could be a slow down in fighting in some locales.

7 Oct: The moment Noa Argamani was captured and dragged off and screaming on a motorcycle.

8 June: The moment she hugs her father after rescue. pic.twitter.com/cXc8STFGvs

— Imtiaz Mahmood (@ImtiazMadmood) June 8, 2024

Argamani, whose abduction video was widely shared, had been among the most recognizable hostages. Her mother, Liora, who is battling stage four brain cancer, had previously released a video pleading to see her daughter before her death. The rescue operation, which took place under heavy fire, was described as a heroic effort by Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari of the IDF.

“Noa, Almog, Andrey and Shlomi – we are overjoyed to have you home,” Minister of Defense Yoav Gallant said in a statement. “Our troops conducted a heroic operation to rescue four hostages held by Hamas, and brought them home to Israel.”

The Hostages Families Forum Headquarters praised the Israeli government for the rescue operation and urged the international community to pressure Hamas into accepting a proposed deal to release the remaining 120 hostages. “Every day there is a day too far,” the group emphasized.

Gallant expressed his joy at the successful operation and vowed to continue the fight until all hostages are returned home.

“The IDF, ISA and Special Forces operated with extraordinary courage under heavy fire, and succeeded in completing their mission,” he said.

As the rescued hostages receive medical care and reunite with their families, the Israeli government remains committed to bringing all remaining hostages home, whether alive for rehabilitation or deceased for burial.

Article generated from corporate media reports.

News outlet Axios has obtained an email sent by Israeli-American Democratic megadonor Haim Saban to White House officials, expressing profound discontent with Biden’s stance. Saban’s message, sent on Wednesday, called the decision “Bad, Bad, Bad, on all levels, Pls reconsider.” He further warned that the move “sends a terrible message to our allies in the region and beyond.”

In a CNN interview aired on Wednesday, Biden confirmed his position, stating that if Israel were to invade Rafah, the U.S. would not supply the weapons historically used to address such situations. However, he assured that the U.S. would continue to support Israel’s security through measures like the Iron Dome and other defensive capabilities.

Some Israelis and American politicians believe that Biden’s decision is a political maneuver to appease the far-left and progressive factions of the Democratic Party before the November election.

Hamas, with its leader Yahya Sinwar, has established a stronghold in Rafah, a city of over 1 million Palestinians. The terrorist organization is believed to be using hostages, potentially including Americans, as human shields to deter an Israeli incursion.

In his email, Saban accused Biden of abandoning the goals the U.S. has previously expressed in its support for Israel, including the defeat of Hamas. Saban pointed out the inconsistency in the U.S. stance, saying, “WE, the US, as you stated numerous times, believe that Hamas should be defeated. WE, the US, in this case YOU Mr President, have decided to stop sending munitions to Israel to achieve the goal that WE/YOU have set up for Israel and ourselves.”

Saban, who hosted a major fundraiser for Biden’s 2024 re-election campaign in February at his Los Angeles home, also said that the pause sends a message that the U.S. is bending to political pressure rather than doing what is right.

Mark Mellman, the CEO of Democratic Majority for Israel, echoed Saban’s sentiments, telling Axios that “there has never been a president more pro-Israel than Joe Biden.” He added, “At the same time, we are very concerned about what appears to be a significant shift in US policy.”

Mellman noted that many in the pro-Israel community are “very worried, very upset and very angry” about the administration’s threats and that they are unsure about the political consequences.

In response to this development, the House Oversight Committee has announced an investigation into the Biden administration’s threats to withhold offensive aid from Israel. The White House has yet to comment on the matter.

Article generated from corporate media reports.

Saudi Al-Sharq outlet reported Hamas is about to announce in the coming hours that it is accepting the ceasefire and hostage deal. The report cited an intensive eleventh hour talks between Egypt and Qatar and the delegations of Israel and Hamas concerning prisoners to be released in the deal. Hamas said it obtained a guarantee from the U.S. of a ceasefire and full Israeli withdrawal from the Gaza Strip, in the third phase of the deal, and a promise that the IDF will halt fighting after the release of the hostages.

Israeli Ministers deny reports that this will bring an end to the war or that the planned invasion of Rafah will be cancelled. Meanwhile, strikes continue in Gaza.

This is a developing story and will be updated when more information is known.

PANDEMONIUM IN NYC pic.twitter.com/6E6na2r14k

— The_Real_Fly (@The_Real_Fly) May 1, 2024

… the Biden administration appears to have gotten its Soros marching orders to pour gasoline into the fire, with CBS reporting that the White House is considering bringing “certain Palestinians” to the U.S. as refugees, a move that would offer a permanent safe haven to some of those fleeing war-torn Gaza, and would also drastically escalate what has already been the 2024 equivalent of the 2020 BLM summer of violence, only this time with spoiled, rich Marxist kids pretending they live in the 1960s and their actions can stop the war in Vietnam Middle East.

According to the report, in recent weeks senior officials across several federal U.S. agencies have discussed the practicality of different options to resettle Palestinians from Gaza who have immediate family members who are American citizens or permanent residents.

One of those proposals involves using the decades-old United States Refugee Admissions Program to welcome Palestinians with U.S. ties who have managed to escape Gaza and enter neighboring Egypt, according to the inter-agency planning documents.

Top U.S. officials have also discussed getting additional Palestinians out of Gaza and processing them as refugees if they have American relatives, the documents show. The plans would require coordination with Egypt, which has so far refused to welcome large numbers of people from Gaza.

Those who pass a series of eligibility, medical and security screenings would qualify to fly to the U.S. with refugee status, which offers beneficiaries permanent residency, resettlement benefits like housing assistance and a path to American citizenship.

While the eligible population is expected to be relatively small, the plans being discussed by U.S. officials could offer a lifeline to some Palestinians fleeing the Israel-Hamas war, which local public health authorities say has claimed the lives of more than 34,000 people and displaced hundreds of thousands of civilians in Gaza.

Needless to say, this comes from the same admin which a few days ago decided against a ban of menthol cigarettes over fears it would alienate the black vote, and today targeted the pot-smoking voters with a report the DEA was preparing to reclassify marijuana to a less dangerous drug category. The same admin which in the past 2 years has welcomed over 20 million illegals with the hope that they will illegally vote for Biden and the Democrats, and thus enshrine the current kleptofascist regime in perpetuity. So it is hardly a surprise that Biden, desperate to avoid losing the vote of the ultra-left progressive wing of the Democrat party which just happens to sympathize with Hamas, will pander to this group whose votes may end up deciding the November election.

Naturally, news of the proposal spread like wildfire with prominent republicans slamming the idea…

Biden wants to bring to America the same Gazans who elected and support Hamas?

This may be his worst idea yet.

— Tom Cotton (@TomCottonAR) April 30, 2024

… although as with most things republicans oppose, or at least pretend to oppose, it is guaranteed that Biden will once again get his way, even though – as so many have noted – the US is on the verge of accepting Palestinians from Gaza when not a single Arab nation is doing so.

The Biden Administration is considering bringing in Palestinians from Gaza as refugees into the US. But not a single Arab nation is welcoming their own brothers from Gaza. Why is that?

Let’s find out. pic.twitter.com/srdNjNb4N5

— Marina Medvin (@MarinaMedvin) April 30, 2024

This makes Haliva the first senior officer to resign over Oct.7, and comes as large Israeli protests have persisted in reaction to the Netanyahu government’s failure to achieve the safe return of the remaining hostages being held by Hamas.

A military announcement confirmed the resignation has been approved by Defense Minister Yoav Gallant. According to a statement in Israeli media, “Alongside Haliva, other top defense officials have said they bear responsibility for the deadly invasion carried out by Hamas on October 7, including the head of the Shin Bet security agency and the IDF chief of staff.”

As for these additional officials, “None of them has announced plans to resign as of yet, though many are expected to do so once the security situation stabilizes,” Times of Israel reports.

There’s been widespread questioning as to how Hamas and other Palestinian militants were able to breach Israel’s southern borders with ease on Oct.7 – even overrunning IDF border outposts, amid the deadly attack on the Nova music festival. Israel has some of the most sophisticated and advance surveillance systems in the world.

Over 1,160 people were killed, mostly civilians, and more than 240 Israelis and foreigners were taken hostage, but many of the captives have since died. The security failures of Oct.7 are still under investigation and are likely to be scrutinized for years to come.

But Al Jazeera observes that Gen. Haliva’s resignation from the top military intelligence post is also political and relates to PM Netanyahu’s handling of the crisis and ongoing war in Gaza:

Akiva Eldar, an Israeli author and former columnist with Haaretz newspaper, says Major-General Halavi quit likely because Netanyahu isn’t going to end the war on Gaza anytime soon.

Eldar added another reason is that the prime minister “is not interested in bringing the captives back to Israel”.

“Netanyahu is the highest authority and he never took responsibility [for the Hamas attack] so Haliva wanted to send a personal message to tell him, ‘If I can do it, you can do it,’” he said.

As for the Israeli military’s own internal investigation into Oct.7 security and intel failures, it is expected to look the way back to 2018 in terms of scope.

The following areas will focus of a deep investigation: “The main subjects being investigated by the General Staff are: the development of the IDF’s perception of Gaza, with an emphasis on the border, starting in 2018; the IDF’s intelligence assessments of Hamas from 2018 until the outbreak of the war; the intelligence and decision-making process on the eve of October 7, as well as the days leading up to it; and the command and control, formations, and orders given during battles between October 7 and 10, when troops restored control over all communities and army bases in southern Israel that had been invaded by Hamas,” according to Times of Israel.

President Joe Biden relayed to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu during a tense phone conversation on Thursday that an “immediate ceasefire” was “essential” in the Gaza Strip — a call shared by his administration and key voting blocs — and urged Netanyahu to reach a deal “without delay.” Israel has made several ceasefire proposals to Hamas and offered generous terms to reach a deal, but the terrorist group has repeatedly rejected the plans since the war began.

Hamas most recently spurned an Israeli ceasefire deal on Tuesday, but said it would review details further; the terrorist group wants assurances that Israel Defense Forces (IDF) forces will begin to withdraw from Gaza fully, that civilians can return to their homes in the north of the region and that a large number of Palestinian prisoners can be released, according to Reuters and The Washington Post. More broadly, Hamas is seeking a long-term ceasefire as part of a deal arrangement with Israel.

“[Hamas] is interested in reaching an agreement that puts an end to the aggression on our people. Despite that, the Israeli position remains intransigent and it didn’t meet any of the demands of our people and our resistance,” Hamas said in response to the ceasefire proposal, according to Reuters.

“The way Hamas uses it is, to quote Sun Zhu, ‘Never interrupt your enemy while they’re making a mistake,’” Noronha told the DCNF. “Israel isn’t making a mistake so much as it is that Hamas has them exactly where they wanted from day one — which was for Israel to defend itself and then lose international political support — and Hamas then believes it is achieving its political goals.”

“[Hamas’] view is that in the interim, they’re getting what they want. And then at some point in the future, they can leverage that international political outcry to get a more favorable ceasefire,” Noronha told the DCNF.

Since Oct. 7, Hamas has rejected six ceasefire proposals, according to The Foundation for Defense of Democracies(FDD). Two offers were turned down in December and January, as the terrorist group wanted a ceasefire first and Israeli withdrawal before any discussion of releasing hostages, according to the WSJ and i24 News.

The Biden administration was optimistic a deal would be reached in February, but this too was shot down, as Hamas stood by its demand for a long-term ceasefire, according to The New York Times.  Israel made two separate proposals for a six-week ceasefire again in March and early April, both of which were also rejected by Hamas, according to FDD.

“We are committed to our demands,” Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh said on April 3, according to Reuters.

Hamas has made these demands on several occasions since it attacked Israel on Oct. 7, killing nearly 1,200 people, and has rejected deals that aren’t favorable to their terms, which Netanyahu has previously called “delusional.” Netanyahu has taken a hardline stance against a permanent ceasefire until Israel has achieved “total victory” against Hamas, but has been striving for a temporary truce in exchange for the remainder of the hostages.

There is also an open question as to whether Hamas would hold to the terms of a potential ceasefire deal. A temporary ceasefire was reached in November, in which Israel halted fighting in exchange for a large number of hostages, but it ended a week after Hamas reportedly broke the terms of the deal.

Hamas also broke existing ceasefire arrangements with Israel during its surprise attack against the country on Oct. 7. Hamas and its backer Iran have declared that Israel needs to be eradicated completely.

“Israel is a country that has no place on our land,” Hamas official Ghazi Hamad said in November. “We must teach Israel a lesson, and we will do this again and again. The [Oct. 7 attacks are] just the first time, and there will be a second, a third, a fourth.”

The U.S., which has worked with Israel and international negotiators to craft ceasefire proposals since the war began, presented a separate offer to both sides on Sunday, according to The Wall Street Journal. Under this proposal — a six-week truce — Hamas would have to release 40 of the roughly 130 hostages it is holding in Gaza, and Israel would release 900 Palestinian prisoners, 100 of whom are jailed on terrorism charges.

Both sides were still considering the U.S. proposal as of Tuesday, according to the WSJ. “To be honest, we are not optimistic,” an official familiar with the current negotiations told the WSJ.

Biden initially supported Israel’s war efforts, claiming that he would “never fail to have Israel’s back” – his administration rejected calls for a ceasefire because they were concerned it would allow Hamas to rebuild its strength and attack Israel again.

After months of unrest within his own administration and outcry from blocs of the Democratic party, Biden is now insisting on an immediate temporary ceasefire and pressuring Israel to quickly change course on its counteroffensive — or face unspecified consequences.

“If there’s no changes to [Israel’s] policy and their approaches [in Gaza], then there’s going to have to be changes to ours,” White House National Security spokesman John Kirby told reporters on Thursday.

The White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

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