Hamas Leader Faces Internal Pressure To Cease War With Israel, Says CIA Director

CIA Director Bill Burns revealed that Yahya Sinwar, the leader of Hamas in Gaza, is reportedly under increasing pressure from his military commanders to accept a ceasefire and put an end to the ongoing war with Israel.

What Happened: Burns shared this information at a confidential conference on Saturday, as reported by CNN on Tuesday. Sinwar, who is suspected to be hiding in tunnels beneath Khan Younis in Gaza, his birthplace, is the primary decision-maker for Hamas regarding the acceptance of a ceasefire deal.

Over the past fortnight, the pressure on Sinwar has escalated, with senior commanders growing tired of the conflict. This development comes as Hamas and Israel have agreed to a framework deal proposed by President Joe Biden in May to end the fighting.

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Despite the progress, there are still gaps to close in the negotiations. The difficulties of getting messages to and from Sinwar, as Israel tries to hunt him down, routinely slow down the talks. Nevertheless, both Israel and Hamas have signed on to an "interim governance" plan that would begin in the second phase of a ceasefire in which neither of them would control Gaza, a U.S. official said.

Why It Matters: The conflict in Gaza has been escalating for months. In June, Israeli tanks entered Gaza’s Shujayea neighborhood, causing Palestinian families to flee. Around the same time, Hamas called on the U.S. to pressure Israel to halt the ongoing conflict in Gaza. Both the U.S. Department of State and the European Union's European Council have placed Hamas in their foreign terrorist organization lists. 

Pressure has also been mounting from U.S. corporations. CEOs of major companies, including Palantir Technologies Inc., Oracle Corp, and Pfizer Inc., lobbied U.S. senators for support of Israel during its Gaza invasion and to find a solution for the hostages held by Hamas.

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This story was generated using Benzinga Neuro and edited by Pooja Rajkumari