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Reports of Division within Israel, Hamas on the ‘Exchange Deal’

Israeli protest against the Netanyahu government, demanding the speedy release of hostages held by Hamas (Reuters)
Israeli protest against the Netanyahu government, demanding the speedy release of hostages held by Hamas (Reuters)
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Reports of Division within Israel, Hamas on the ‘Exchange Deal’

Israeli protest against the Netanyahu government, demanding the speedy release of hostages held by Hamas (Reuters)
Israeli protest against the Netanyahu government, demanding the speedy release of hostages held by Hamas (Reuters)

The Israeli government is waiting for Hamas' response to the Qatari proposal for a prisoner exchange deal before it announces its final position, according to Israeli sources on Sunday.
Yedioth Ahronoth newspaper reported that the Israeli government expects a response from Qatar on Sunday after the Qatari Prime Minister, Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdul Rahman Al Thani, received Hamas's direct response and returned to his country.
On Friday, the Israeli cabinet discussed the deal in an expanded meeting that witnessed many disagreements regarding the treaty's terms finalized at the Paris meeting, which was held a few days ago with the participation of US, Israel, Qatar, and Egypt officials.
An Israeli official confirmed to the Israeli Broadcasting Authority that the government has not approved anything yet, mainly since Hamas had not provided its answer either.
According to Israeli media leaks, the proposal will be extended to 142 days.
A source who participated in the session said that the first batch would include the release of 35 captives, including women, the elderly, and the sick, in exchange for a 35-day ceasefire, one day of ceasefire for each hostage.
It will be followed by negotiations on the second batch, which will last seven days to release 100 other detainees, also representing a day of ceasefire for each one.
The positions of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and other officials showed that it would be difficult to pass the deal in its current form.
Netanyahu said in the session that three conditions cannot be accepted: ending the war before eliminating Hamas, releasing all Palestinian detainees, and the withdrawal of the Israeli army from the Gaza Strip.
He called on the ministers to unite and remain in the government after they threatened that they would withdraw if this deal were approved.
As of Saturday evening, Hamas had yet to respond to the proposal due to broader consultations it began with the factions and the difficulty of communicating with Gaza leadership.
The Wall Street Journal reported that Hamas's internal divisions prevent the Palestinian movement from signing off on the deal.
According to a report by the newspaper, the prevailing dynamic within Hamas has reversed, as its leader in Gaza, Yahya al-Sinwar, supports a temporary truce, while its leaders abroad are demanding more concessions and want to negotiate a permanent cease.
The newspaper quoted officials familiar with the negotiations, whose names were not mentioned, that Gaza officials were ready to accept the proposal for an initial six-week pause in fighting so the fighters could regroup and more aid could enter Gaza.
Sinwar is ready to accept a six-week pause, thinking it would give Hamas's forces time to regroup and allow humanitarian aid to reach civilians in Gaza, officials said.
Hamas politburo chief Ismail Haniyeh argued that the group needs to negotiate a permanent ceasefire guaranteed by foreign powers, along with a plan to rebuild Gaza.
A Hamas source denied internal disagreements or disputes between the military arm and political bureau.
He asserted the internal coordination and comprehensive agreement between Hamas and other organizations.
Hamas officials said that the movement is considering the proposed interim truce, which would include a prolonged ceasefire in Gaza and the exchange of Israeli detainees for Palestinian prisoners.
On Friday, Haniyeh's office said he held a phone call with his counterpart in the Islamic Jihad movement, Ziad al-Nakhala, and the two asserted that any agreement with Israel to release the hostages must include a complete cessation of fighting, the withdrawal of Israeli forces from Gaza, ending the siege, rebuilding the Strip, and liberating Palestinian security prisoners.
It does not seem that Israel has agreed to these expensive demands after Tel Aviv pledged to dismantle Hamas following the Oct. 7 attack in which about 1,200 people were killed and 253 others detained.
In November 2023, Hamas released 105 civilians, most of whom were women and children.
The Israeli army says that 29 of the hostages are not alive, based on intelligence information and results obtained by the forces operating in Gaza.
Hamas has been holding the remains of Israeli soldiers Oron Shaul and Hadar Goldin since 2014. It is also believed that it holds Avera Mengistu and Hisham al-Sayyid al-Lathi, who are thought to be alive after entering Hamas on their own in 2014 and 2015, respectively.
An Israeli official confirmed to NBC News that it is unclear whether the new deal will bear fruit.
"I don't think it's more than 50/50 it will materialize," the unnamed senior official says.
Unnamed ministers also told Channel 12 news that a deal is far from certain.
The deal will likely await the arrival of US Secretary of State Antony Blinken to the Middle East on Sunday on his fifth visit to the region since the outbreak of the Israeli war on Hamas.

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Arab World

SDF Commander to Asharq Al-Awsat: Syria Must Remain United

Commander of the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) Mazloum Abdi. (Asharq Al-Awsat)
Commander of the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) Mazloum Abdi. (Asharq Al-Awsat)
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SDF Commander to Asharq Al-Awsat: Syria Must Remain United

Commander of the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) Mazloum Abdi. (Asharq Al-Awsat)
Commander of the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) Mazloum Abdi. (Asharq Al-Awsat)

Commander of the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) Mazloum Abdi revealed that coordination had been taking place on the ground since the second day of the Deterrence of Aggression operation, waged by the Military Operations Command led by Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) group, against the Syrian regime.

He added however that direct negotiations have not been launched with the HTS, led by Ahmed al-Sharaa, which had ousted Syrian President Bashar al-Assad on December 8.

In an interview to Asharq Al-Awsat, Abdi stressed that the SDF was prepared to merge with new Syrian army, but only after reaching a negotiated agreement on the “suitable framework”.

Moreover, he underlined the need for “Syria to remain a united country.” The shape of its new political system should be decided by the people and constitutional discussions.

*Were you aware of the operations of the Syrian factions before December 27? Did you ever predict that Assad’s regime would fall in ten days?

We had signals that the armed factions were launching a military operation against the former regime. This was expected, but what was not expected was the rapid collapse of the army without putting up a fight. We were also surprised that their allies, who had stood by it throughout the Syrian revolution, were so quick to abandon it. I believe we will find out more in the future about what happened behind the scenes of the operation.

*Was there any coordination or communication with the HTS during those ten days of fighting?

No coordination was taking place with the HTS before the operation. We did get in contact on the second day to avert a clash between our forces in some Aleppo neighborhoods and to evacuate refugees from the Tal Rifaat camps that had been attacked by Türkiye-backed factions. This field coordination is still ongoing.

Syrian Kurds wave independence-era flags during a rally in support of the SDF in the northeastern city of Qamishli, on December 19, 2024. (AFP)

*What will Syria look like after Assad’s collapse? Will you take part in negotiations with the HTS over the shape of the state and its political system?

We have not yet launched direct negotiations with the HTS, but we believe that Syria should be a decentralized democratic state where the country’s diversity will be safeguarded by the constitution and the rights of all segments of society, including the Kurds, will be ensured.

We are not seeking Syria’s division and we are prepared to play our role in building and in partnering with the government that will rule the country. Syria has witnessed a lot of bloodshed. We are urgently calling for comprehensive direct dialogue to pave the way for the era of peace so that Syria can forge ahead and rebuild itself.

*Do the Kurds wants a federal or confederate Syria?

Above all else, it is imperative that Syria remain united. We believe that a lot of discussions will be held over the shape of the ruling system. This will be up to the people to decide and up to the constitutional discussions.

*What are the SDF’s conditions should negotiations be held over the regions controlled by the autonomous administration?

We don’t want to call them conditions, but there are some issues that are imposed by the reality on the ground and that should be taken into consideration. The priority lies in ending the military operations throughout Syria, especially the attacks carried out by Türkiye and its affiliated factions against the SDF. This will allow us, as Syrians, to discuss the future of our country without foreign interference of dictates. The regions controlled by the autonomous administration are Syrian and their representatives should have their voices heard and they should be part of discussions on building the future.

About the country’s resources, they belong to all the Syrian people. We are committed to a future where the resources are fairly and equally distributed by the state to all Syrians so that everyone can enjoy stability and prosperity. Attention must be given to regions that had been marginalized by the Assad regime.

*Leader of the new administration in Damascus Ahmed al-Sharaa had called on all Syrian armed factions to lay down their arms. Some have already done so; what is the SDF’s position on this?

The Syria of the future must have a unified national army that defends the country and its citizens. This is not up for debate. The SDF’s weapons will go to the army and the SDF will merge with the army. However, for this to happen, we need to have direct negotiations to reach a framework over how this can be implemented.

*There are growing Kurdish concerns over the city of Ain al-Arab, or Kobane. What are the SDF’s plans should it be attacked?

The threat by the Türkiye-backed factions against Kobane remains very serious. We are working with our partners in the US-led international coalition to ease the tensions there. That is why we proposed that the region be removed of all weapons. This will ease the concerns that Türkiye has spoken about. Türkiye, however, has not yet responded to this proposal and it continues to amass its forces. The truth is the attack on Kobane will be a disaster and will pose a major threat to the stability of the region. We hope it won’t happen.

*Are there direct or indirect contacts or negotiations with Ankara over the Syrian regions bordering Türkiye?

Indirect contacts are taking place with Türkiye through our partners in the international coalition. However, we want to hold direct negotiations to ease Türkiye’s fears, but Ankara has so far not expressed its readiness for such talks even though we are.

*Regional and international powers have constantly demanded that you sever ties with the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK). What do you say to these demands?

We have previously said that the SDF does not have organizational ties to the PKK. Some of its members have joined us in battles against ISIS. We fought side by side, but they will be removed once the military operations end and once the mechanism to do so is in place. The decision making in northern and eastern Syria has long been in the hands of the people and it will remain so. There are no justifications for these fears.

Syrian Kurds wave independence-era flags during a demonstration in support of the Syrian Democratic Forces in the northeastern city of Qamishli, on December 19, 2024. (AFP)

*Will the SDF allow the Syrian members of the Peshmerga in Iraqi Kurdistan return to Syria?

We are talking about building a national Syrian army, the laying down of arms and merging the factions with the army. If members of the Peshmerga return home from abroad, then they will naturally play a role in building their nation.

*What is your assessment of the threat posed by ISIS in Syria?

Combating ISIS is a priority for the Syrian people and region. The SDF is ready to work with the new Damascus government in operations against the organization and in combating terrorism.

We are committed to ensuring the security of our neighbors. Syria will not pose a threat to their safety and stability. We are prepared to work with the central government to put in place measures that guarantee that no non-Syrian actors will threaten Syria and its neighbors’ security. We are also ready, in principle, to hand over the responsibility of monitoring the border to the Damascus authorities according to an agreed framework.

*Are you planning on visiting Damascus?

Of course. Damascus is our capital, and we will visit it when the conditions are right.