Hamas’ Chief Negotiator Is a Terrorist, Not a Peacemaker

Excerpt

As the war in Gaza drags on, so do negotiations for the release of the remaining 48 Israeli hostages (20 alive and 28 deceased) currently held by Hamas. The decision-making body on the Israeli side of these negotiations is, of course, the Israeli government. The Hamas counterpart, however, has not always been easy to identify. 

There are leaders on the ground in Gaza, like Izz al-Din al-Haddad, who directs Hamas’ military operations as leader of Hamas’ al-Qassam Brigades while also weighing in on the hostage diplomacy. Outside of Gaza, a gaggle of Hamas figures also participates in ceasefire negotiations. The leading figure among them is Khalil al-Hayya, who was reportedly appointed as Hamas’ leader in Gaza. In Hamas’ leadership structure, there are two main leaders: one based externally and one inside Gaza. The current leadership body based in Qatar is composed of five individuals, with Khalid Meshaal and Khalil al-Hayya being the most prominent. However, al-Hayya is often portrayed in Arabic media as Hamas’ leader in Gaza. The role is distinct from the position of Hamas’ military leader in Gaza, which is usually held by the commander of the group’s armed wing. The Hamas leader in Gaza is a position once held by infamous Hamas figures Yahya Sinwar and Ismail Haniyeh. Al-Hayya splits his time between Qatar and Turkey. 

Jonathan Schanzer is the executive director at Foundation for Defense of Democracies. Follow him on Twitter @JSchanzer. Ahmad al-Sharawi is a research analyst at Foundation for Defense of Democracies.