As Hamas released a new batch of Israeli captives on Saturday, sources within and close to the movement revealed that a senior leader played a crucial yet largely unseen role in the negotiations that led to the prisoner exchange deal and the ceasefire in the Gaza Strip.
According to these sources, Nizar Awadallah was the “hidden key” in the Gaza talks, particularly as the process moved into its second phase with Israel.
Awadallah, a senior Hamas leader, was one of the most influential figures in managing the negotiations. His role was pivotal in identifying critical gaps in the talks and addressing them before they could become obstacles. While he did not participate directly in all meetings with mediators, he frequently engaged in internal discussions with the Hamas leadership, ensuring that the negotiating team avoided strategic missteps.
Currently, Awadallah is outside Gaza, having left shortly before the recent war along with other senior Hamas political bureau members. Sources indicated that he played a key role in extensive meetings with Hamas’ political chief, Ismail Haniyeh, before the latter was assassinated in Tehran last year.
Awadallah was reportedly cautious about Israel’s commitment to agreements, often advocating for stricter conditions that would compel Tel Aviv to comply. He pushed for a more stringent approach to the prisoner exchange mechanism, seeking to ensure that Hamas would not be left vulnerable to Israeli maneuvering.
While sources stopped short of calling him the “planner” of the current ceasefire and exchange deal, they emphasized his significant role alongside other key Hamas figures.
Awadallah was instrumental in past negotiations, particularly in the 2006 capture and subsequent 2011 prisoner exchange for Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit. A year after the exchange, Israeli media identified him as one of its mastermind, alongside Ahmad al-Jaabari, the slain commander of Hamas’ military wing, Al-Qassam Brigades.
Beyond negotiations with Israel, Awadallah also played a crucial role in talks between Hamas and Fatah aimed at Palestinian national reconciliation. He was involved in multiple rounds of discussions hosted by various countries.
He briefly led Hamas’ political bureau in Gaza between late 2004 and early 2007, a period marked by intense political and military challenges. It was during this time that Hamas took control of Gaza by force, captured Shalit, and faced international isolation after forming the Palestinian government in 2006—only to be swiftly dismissed by Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas.
Awadallah is considered part of Hamas’ founding generation, closely associated with the movement’s spiritual leader, Sheikh Ahmed Yassin, as well as senior figures like Abdel Aziz al-Rantisi. He was deeply involved in shaping Hamas’ early strategies and political direction.
During the latest war in Gaza, Awadallah suffered a loss when his eldest son, Ubaida, was killed in an Israeli airstrike.
