Negotiations for a ceasefire-prisoner swap deal between Israel and Hamas are on the verge of collapse, US and Israeli officials informed Politico.
The officials, two from the US and two from Israel, revealed that Hamas has rejected the deal, leaving no clear alternative. While Israel accepted the terms, Hamas is refusing to do so.
One US official mentioned that, despite Hamas publicly rejecting the proposal, there were private indications that the group was open to it. This has led to uncertainty among US officials about Hamas's true intentions regarding the agreement.
One of the officials told Politico, "We don’t know if [Hamas leader Yahya] Sinwar wants this deal. But if we don’t get the deal, there’s a chance that Iran attacks and this escalates into a full-blown confrontation." The failure to secure a ceasefire-prisoner swap deal could significantly increase the likelihood of an Iranian attack on Israel, a scenario that one US official described as "obviously the biggest concern here and something we’ve been trying to avoid since Oct. 7."
The official added, "But the chances of that happening increase significantly if Hamas doesn’t agree to this proposal."
