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Edited by: Fern Sidman

The Israeli military has obtained CCTV footage purportedly showing Yahya Sinwar, the notorious mastermind and top leader of the Hamas terror organization, inside a tunnel beneath the southern Gaza city of Khan Younis, accompanied by his family and an unidentified individual. This revelation, disclosed by an Israeli security official to CNN, underscores the intensified efforts by Israel to target Sinwar, who is responsible for orchestrating Hamas’ terror activities, including the recent attack on October 7 in which 1200 Israelis were brutally massacred. While Sinwar has been designated as a key target in Israel’s operations in Gaza, the specifics regarding the timing and condition of the video remain unclear, according to the CNN report on Tuesday.

Sinwar, dubbed by the Israeli military as the “mastermind” behind Hamas’ attacks, has evaded capture despite concerted efforts by Israeli forces. In December, the IDF surrounded Sinwar’s residence but failed to apprehend him, leading to speculations about his whereabouts, with suggestions that he may be hiding underground, as was reported by CNN. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s advisor has asserted that capturing Sinwar is inevitable, indicating the determination of Israeli authorities to bring him to justice.

The IDF’s pursuit of Sinwar highlights the strategic importance attributed to his leadership within Hamas. Sinwar, a prominent figure in the Islamist Palestinian group, played a pivotal role in assembling Hamas’ military wing and has since ascended to become a significant political and civilian leader, as was noted in the CNN report.  His influence extends beyond Gaza, with Sinwar forging alliances with regional Arab powers, thereby amplifying Hamas’ regional standing.

Sinwar’s political ascendancy within Hamas has been notable, with his election to the group’s main decision-making body, the Politburo, in 2017. Subsequently, he has assumed de facto leadership within the Politburo, consolidating his authority over Hamas’ political affairs, the report on CNN indicated. Despite his prominence, Sinwar’s activities have attracted international condemnation, with the US Department of State designating him as a global terrorist in 2015, and recent sanctions imposed upon him by the United Kingdom and France further isolating him on the global stage.

The intensified Israeli military operations in central and southern Gaza, particularly in Khan Younis, signify a concerted effort to dismantle Hamas’ infrastructure in areas previously considered strongholds. The CNN report said that the Israeli military has long alleged that Khan Younis harbors extensive tunnel networks utilized by Hamas for planning and executing attacks, including the October 7 incident. This latest revelation of Sinwar’s presence in a tunnel beneath Khan Younis adds weight to Israeli claims regarding Hamas’ activities in the area.

Hamas has vehemently denied accusations of using hospitals and civilian structures as hiding places, amidst Israel’s military campaign in Gaza following the October 7 attack.

The Israeli military launched its offensive in Gaza following the Hamas attack, which resulted in a staggering toll of more than 1,200 fatalities and over 240 individuals taken hostage. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has justified the campaign as necessary to dismantle Hamas’ capabilities, intensifying airstrikes and blockades in the enclave, the report on CNN said.

The ongoing pursuit of Sinwar reflects the strategic significance attributed to his leadership within Hamas, as well as the broader geopolitical dynamics shaping the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

In a significant development on Tuesday, an Israeli delegation departed for Cairo, led by David Barnea, head of Israel’s Mossad intelligence agency, as was reported by the Jewish News Syndicate. The purpose of the delegation’s trip is to present a new draft of terms for a potential hostage deal to secure the release of 134 hostages held by Hamas terrorists in the Gaza Strip.

The delegation comprises high-ranking officials, including Ronen Bar, head of the Israel Security Agency, authorized by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to engage in negotiations aimed at ending the hostage crisis, as was noted in the JNS report. The Israeli team will engage with American, Egyptian, and Qatari mediators in an effort to broker a deal that not only secures the release of the hostages but also includes provisions for a ceasefire in Gaza. More specifically, the team will meet with CIA Director Bill Burns, head of Egyptian intelligence Maj. Gen. Abbas Kamel and Qatari Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al Thani.

The proposed deal, as outlined by President Joe Biden during a joint statement with Jordanian King Abdullah II at the White House, entails a six-week period of immediate and sustained calm in Gaza, with the potential for further negotiations toward a permanent ceasefire, according to the information provided in the JNS report. Sources indicate that the new draft presented by Israel demonstrates a level of flexibility, indicating a willingness to engage in dialogue to achieve a resolution.

Egypt, a key mediator in the negotiations, has confirmed that a six-week ceasefire is on the table, emphasizing the importance of crafting a final draft that addresses the concerns of all parties involved. JNS also reported that while progress has been made, both Egyptian officials and Western diplomats caution that further work is necessary to bridge existing gaps and reach a comprehensive agreement.

Prime Minister Netanyahu has reiterated Israel’s commitment to achieving a resolution that prioritizes the safety and well-being of its citizens, rejecting what he termed as “delusional demands” made by Hamas. As per the information in the JNS report, Netanyahu emphasized that any agreement must not compromise Israel’s security or concede to unreasonable demands that would endanger its citizens.

“We are on our way to total victory,” he declared. “Total victory over Hamas will not take years. It will take months. Victory is within reach,” said Netanyahu, adding, “The IDF is working miracles and working methodically to achieve all the goals that we set.”

Meanwhile, the Hostage and Missing Families Forum, representing the families of the hostages, has urged the Israeli delegation to deliver tangible results, stressing the urgency of the situation and the immense emotional toll on the families involved, as was mentioned in the JNS report.  The pressure mounts as expectations rise for a successful outcome to the negotiations.

“Don’t come back until everyone is back—the living and the dead. The eyes of 134 families are on you. This is a once-in-a-lifetime mission,” the group said in comments directed at Barnea, according to Ynet and reported on in JNS.

The success of these negotiations carries profound implications for the future stability and security of the region.

The Egyptian Foreign Ministry on Monday accused Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich of attempting to sabotage the talks after the head of the Religious Zionist Party earlier in the day urged Netanyahu not to send representatives to Cairo, according to the JNS report.

“It is unfortunate and disgraceful that the Israeli finance minister, Smotrich, continues to make irresponsible and inflammatory statements, only revealing a hunger for killing and destruction and sabotage of any attempt to contain the crisis in the Gaza Strip,” tweeted Egyptian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Ahmed Abu Zeid.

Smotrich’s comments to his Knesset faction included remarks that Egypt “bore considerable responsibility for what happened on Oct. 7” due to not stopping the arms smuggling along the Gaza border, “ JNS reported.

“These statements are completely unacceptable, as Egypt fully controls its territory, and does not allow any party to involve Egypt’s name in any failed attempt to justify its shortcomings,” Abu Zeid wrote in response.

Smotrich also reportedly told his faction that he opposed any talks involving a hostage deal with Hamas, saying that instead the military should assassinate the terror group’s leaders.

Instead of sending Bar for talks “with the Nazi enemy, he should continue to be sent to Rafah together with his men and IDF soldiers to destroy, kill and seize the heads of the murderers and of all the Nazi Hamas terrorists,” Smotrich stressed, as per the information in the JNS report.

At the Cairo talks, Israel’s pending Rafah military operation to demolish Hamas’s remaining battalions and destroy the terror group’s weapons-smuggling tunnels will also be discussed.

Walla correspondent Barak Ravid reported that  Smotrich is also holding up a shipment of American flour to Gaza because it is intended for UNRWA, according to a report on the Israel National News web site.

According to the report, American officials claim that Smotrich is not allowing the shipment into Gaza because its destination is UNRWA, whose involvement in Hamas terrorism, including the October 7 massacre, has recently been proven.

Officials in the administration are outraged by the decision and claim that it violates a commitment by  Netanyahu given to President Biden according to which all American aid will be allowed into the Strip, as was noted in the INN report.

COGAT is attempting to circumvent the Finance Minister’s directive to prevent the flour from going to UNRWA by instead giving it to the UN World Food Program, which does not face the same accusations of involvement in terrorism as UNRWA.

Also on Tuesday, Israel National News reported that the Israeli police published extraordinary documentation from the helmet of a Yamam soldier during the special operation to release hostages Fernando Marman and Louis Har that took place late Sunday.

The fighters are recorded rescuing the hostages under heavy fire and while eliminating terrorists.

INN also reported that the Israeli Defense Ministry said that “during the complex rescue mission, heavy fire was opened on the fighters and towards the location of the hostages, both from inside the building and nearby buildings. In a professional and sharp response, the Yamam fighters responded and returned fire eliminating the terrorists while protecting the hostages with their bodies until they returned them home safely.”

“We brought them home safely,” said Police Superintendent Y., deputy company commander in the Yamam, who commanded the breakout force in the rescue operation.

Speaking to Israel National News on Tuesday was former United States Secretary of State Mike Pompeo who was in Israel touring Kfar Aza and the site of the Nova Festival, where the October 7th massacre took place. Pompeo was joined by Likud MK Danny Danon.

Pompeo said, “Even though I know the stories, the numbers and everything else, it was so important to come here, to be here, because it’s always different when you are actually walking on the ground where the tragedies have taken place. The emotions, the feelings of seeing the families is always different than just watching them on TV, or reading about what happened. So, we pray for these people who lost loved ones during the terror attack that took place on October 7th.”

JNS reported on Tuesday that the U.S. Senate passed a $95 billion foreign aid package that includes $14.1 billion for Israel, $60.1 billion for Ukraine and $9.1 billion in humanitarian aid for conflict zones, including the Gaza Strip.

After an all-night debate session, the bill passed with a vote of 70-29 and split the Republican caucus in half, with a little more than half of GOP senators voting “nay.” JNS reported that they were joined by Sens. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.) and Peter Welch (D-Vt.), who said that they were opposed to continued funding for Israel.

“This bill provides Netanyahu $10 billion more in unrestricted military aid for his horrific war against the Palestinian people,” Sanders stated ahead of the vote, referencing Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. “That is unconscionable.” (The prime minister is part of a war cabinet and does not make decisions single-handedly.)

President Biden first proposed the foreign aid package shortly after the terrorist attacks in southern Israel on Oct. 7, perpetrated by the Hamas terrorist organization based in Gaza, but the bill has been in limbo over Republican demands to similarly address the migration crisis at the U.S. southern border, according to the JNS report. Earlier this month, House Republican leaders rejected a Senate compromise that included border security measures, prompting the Senate to pursue a clean foreign aid package.

Of the $14.1 billion earmarked for Israel, $10.6 billion is U.S. Defense Department funding, including $4 billion for the Iron Dome and David’s Sling missile-defense systems; and $1.2 billion for further development of the Iron Beam laser-defense system to counter short-range rockets. Another $3.5 billion is a U.S. State Department grant for Israel to pay for American military material and services.

(Sources: JNS.org, CNN.com and IsraelNationalNews.com)