Mossad chief David Barnea wants to use the IDF’s success against Hezbollah in the North to pressure Hamas into accepting a hostage deal in the South, and has spoken to the United States about that possibility, according to a security source who spoke to the Jerusalem Post.

“He presented to the Americans the idea of ​​connecting the two fronts,” the source said, explaining that he had a conversation with CIA Director William Burns, one of the top Biden administration officials involved in efforts to free the remaining 101 captives.

However, the proposal is only at an initial stage of discussion, and no specific action has been taken, the source clarified. Barnea is playing the most important role for the Israelis in the hostage release talks, including efforts to finalize a tripartite deal first put on the table by the US on May 31. Qatar and Egypt were the main mediators in these US-assisted talks.

Work on the May 31 ceasefire proposal has been “up in the air” since Hamas executed six hostages in August, including American Israeli Hersh Goldberg-Paulin, with the US accusing the terror group of sabotaging the deal.

Barnea, however, wants to use the new opportunity to push for a deal in light of the IDF’s successes in recent weeks against Iran’s “satellite” Hezbollah, including the killing of its leader Hassan Nasrallah.

Barnea wants to link Hezbollah’s motivation for a ceasefire with Israel to the release of the hostages in Gaza.

His efforts were first reported by Channel 12 and later confirmed by The Jerusalem Post via a security source. “After the military achievements and the very effective strike” against Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah and given that “the Iranians and Hezbollah are demanding” an end to hostilities, “we cannot advance a ceasefire without ‘the whole package’.” , meaning an agreement for the hostages in Gaza,” the Israeli security source clarified.

The US initially hoped that a deal on hostages and a cease-fire between Hamas and Israel in Gaza would also set the stage for an agreement to end hostilities between Hezbollah and Israel. Hezbollah until recently insisted that it would only end its attacks on Israel with a cease-fire in Gaza.

In the absence of an agreement on the release of the hostages in Gaza, the diplomatic separation of the two fronts is now being promoted, with pressure solely for a Hezbollah ceasefire. Recently, however, there has been an effort to reunite them, with the goal of Hezbollah and Iran pressuring Hamas into an agreement.

“There is a real opportunity to put real pressure from Iran and Hezbollah on the [ηγέτη της Χαμάς Γιαχία] Sinuar,” the source said.

US State Department spokesman Matthew Miller hinted on Wednesday during a call with reporters that Sinwar may be staying away from the Gaza hostage talks because he believes a regional war is on the horizon.

“Sinowar is reluctant to engage in any meaningful way in the ceasefire talks,” Miller noted.

“I think it’s reasonable to conclude that he’s watching what’s going on in the North. He’s watching Iran attack Israel, and he’s thinking that maybe he’s going to get what he’s always wanted, which is a full-scale regional war,” Miller said.

He speculated that the shadow of a general war “may have changed his calculations [του Σινουάρ]but either way, he should return to the talks, because a ceasefire in Gaza is clearly in the best interest of the Palestinian people.”