Sinwar Demands His Own Survival as Ceasefire Talks Implode; Netanyahu Calls Air Force Israel's 'Iron Fist'
JERUSALEM, Israel – As the Israel-Hamas war enters its 321st day, ceasefire negotiations continue amid evolving demands and regional developments.
Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar has reportedly added a new demand to the ceasefire negotiations: his own survival.
An Egyptian official told Israeli media that Sinwar wants assurances he won't be killed, despite previously stating he'd be proud to die fighting Israel.
This as cracks may be forming in Palestinian support for the terror leader.
On Tuesday, a Gaza woman interrupted a live Al Jazeera English broadcast from Gaza, shouting, "May Allah curse you, Sinwar and Hamas!" An unidentified man immediately hauled her away.
Meanwhile, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu insists on maintaining an Israeli military presence along the Philadelphi Corridor at the Gaza-Egypt border.
President Biden is reportedly pressuring Netanyahu to soften his stance, but with the IDF having found and destroyed 150 tunnels there in recent days, Israel believes it must guard the corridor to end Hamas threats permanently.
"We are prepared for any scenario - both in defense and attack," the prime minister declared.
In Jerusalem, the stakes for a ceasefire deal couldn't be higher.
Iran and Hezbollah stand ready to strike if talks fail. One official told Politico, "If we don't get a deal, there's a chance that Iran attacks and this escalates into a full-blown confrontation."
Meanwhile, the USS Abraham Lincoln carrier group has arrived in Middle Eastern waters, joining another U.S. carrier already in the region. This bolstered military presence adds a new factor to the regional calculus
Netanyahu remains resolute in Israel's military readiness. During a tour of an Air Force base, he declared, "The Air Force is our iron fist that knows how to hit the soft underbelly of our enemies."
As the war continues, Israel is addressing the October 7th intelligence failure.
Maj. Gen. Aharon Haliva, the outgoing head of Israeli Military Intelligence, said, "On that Sabbath, we failed the most important mission we are entrusted with, giving a war warning. The ultimate responsibility for the failure of the Intelligence Division rests with me."
At the United Nations, Israeli Ambassador Gilad Erdan criticized a new exhibit on terror victims for omitting any mention of Israeli Jews or the October 7th attack.
Erdan pointed out, "There's not a single mention of any attack carried out by Palestinians against Israelis. We are about to mark one year since the massacre and the largest terrorist attack against Jews and Israelis since the Holocaust. Yet the U.N. doesn't think it needs to be displayed on its walls."
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