Following the death of Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar, new details have surfaced regarding his reasoning for rejecting favorable negotiations to release Israeli hostages. Sinwar believed the tide was shifting against Israel’s offensive in the U.S., influencing his stance.
On March 26, Sinwar and Hamas turned down an Israeli offer to pause their operations in Gaza for six weeks. In exchange, Israel would release about 700 Palestinian prisoners, while Hamas would free 40 Israeli hostages. The Wall Street Journal reported that Sinwar claimed Hamas had leverage, partly because of growing U.S. pressure to ease the situation in Gaza. This rationale contributed to his decision to continue the hostage negotiations despite Israeli forces striking Hamas targets.
Why was this pressure building in the U.S.?
In the days before Hamas rejected the ceasefire deal, Vice President Kamala Harris escalated her criticism of Israel, going further than President Joe Biden. Biden had previously told the Israeli Prime Minister they would have a “come to Jesus meeting” over the issue, as overheard on a hot mic.
On March 3, Harris delivered a pointed critique of Israel during a speech in Selma, Alabama, demanding an “immediate ceasefire” and describing the humanitarian crisis in Gaza as “devastating.” She alleged that Palestinians were being shot as they approached trucks with humanitarian aid, though the IDF stated the casualties resulted from stampedes. Harris also accused Israel of imposing unnecessary restrictions on aid and did not condition her ceasefire demand on the release of Israeli hostages. According to NBC News, some parts of her speech were toned down by members of the National Security Council before delivery.
On X (formerly Twitter), Harris reiterated her stance on the same day, calling the situation in Gaza “devastating” and emphasizing that “our common humanity compels us to act,” but made no mention of the hostages.
The following day, Harris met with Israeli politician Benny Gantz, a rival to Prime Minister Netanyahu, despite his position in the war cabinet.
On March 9, Harris expressed frustration with the Israeli government in a CBS interview, asserting the need to separate the Israeli government from its people. She stressed the U.S. would support Israel’s security but also hinted at efforts to push for a different approach in Gaza, both publicly and behind closed doors.
Later, on March 24, Harris warned against an Israeli ground invasion into Rafah, stating it would be a “huge mistake.” She explained to ABC News that there was nowhere for civilians in Rafah to flee, based on her understanding of the geography. When pressed about potential U.S. actions if Israel proceeded, Harris said her administration had been clear about its stance and was not “ruling out anything.”
Following the invasion of Rafah, six murdered hostages were found by the IDF, with a bunker containing Sinwar’s DNA located nearby, according to The Times of Israel. Sinwar was killed in Rafah on October 16.
On March 25, the United States abstained from a UN Security Council vote calling for a ceasefire during Ramadan without condemning Hamas or demanding hostage releases. This marked a shift from previous U.S. vetoes of similar resolutions and led to the cancellation of an Israeli delegation’s planned visit to the U.S.
During March, Harris’ stepdaughter, Ella Emhoff, was also raising funds for the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA). This organization had its U.S. funding suspended due to ties with Gaza-based terror groups. Following Hamas’ October 7 attack on Israel, nine UNRWA employees were suspected of involvement in the assault, which included kidnappings and massacres.
