In a closed conference on Saturday, CIA Director Bill Burns revealed that Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar in Gaza is under increasing pressure from his military commanders to accept a ceasefire agreement and end the war with Israeli Occupation. This information was disclosed by a source present at the conference.

Burns mentioned that Sinwar, the chief architect of the October 7, 2023, attack on "Israel", "is not afraid of death" but faces significant pressure to be blamed for the severe suffering in Gaza. US intelligence officials believe that Sinwar is hiding in tunnels under his hometown, Khan Younis in Gaza, and is the key decision-maker for Hamas regarding the ceasefire deal.

For months, Burns has been conducting intense negotiations as the main envoy for this mission in the Biden administration. He emphasized the need for both the "Israeli" government and Hamas to seize this moment to reach a ceasefire agreement.

The source, granted anonymity to speak about the conference, noted that the internal pressure on Sinwar over the past two weeks is new, including calls from senior commanders who are weary of the fighting.

Burns was speaking at the annual Allen & Company summer retreat in Sun Valley, Idaho, often referred to as the "summer camp for billionaires," due to its high-profile guest list of tech tycoons, media moguls, and senior government officials. The CIA declined to comment on Burns' statements.

The increased pressure on Sinwar comes as Hamas and Israeli Occupation agreed to a framework deal proposed by US President Joe Biden at the end of May. US officials indicated that this framework serves as the basis for a ceasefire agreement.

Burns had recently returned from a trip to the Middle East aimed at advancing ceasefire negotiations in Gaza and a hostage deal. During this trip, he met with intermediary counterparts from Qatar and Egypt, as well as the head of Israeli Occupation intelligence, the Mossad.

Burns stated on Saturday that there is a "fragile opportunity ahead" and that the chances of reaching a ceasefire agreement are higher than before. This follows months of a brief temporary truce in November that saw the release of dozens of hostages. However, Burns stressed that the final stage of negotiations is always challenging.

On the same day, "Israeli" Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu asserted in a press conference that he would not deviate "one millimeter" from the framework set by Biden, claiming that Hamas had requested 29 changes to the proposal, all of which he rejected.

A source familiar with the talks told CNN after Burns' meetings in Doha that there are still "difficult issues to resolve." Another source agreed, stating that "there is still a long way to go."

These developments come after previous discussions collapsed in May, following a similar series of meetings and trips by Burns to the region.

Netanyahu faces immense domestic pressure to reach an agreement to return the remaining hostages held in Gaza to their families. Thousands of "Israeli" protesters regularly take to the streets of Tel Aviv, demanding the government prioritize the hostages' return over the military campaign.

"Gaps to Bridge"

On Thursday, President Joe Biden said, "There are still gaps to bridge, but we are making progress, and the direction is positive. I am determined to achieve this deal and end this war, which must end now."

The "Israeli" campaign in Gaza has resulted in the deaths of over 38,000 Palestinians, according to the Gaza Ministry of Health. Thousands are believed to be missing under the rubble, and hundreds of thousands are facing disease, starvation, and lack of shelter, according to relief organizations.

Negotiations are routinely slowed by the difficulties of communicating with Sinwar while Israeli Occupation attempts to track him. Of the top three Hamas leaders in Gaza, Israeli Occupation has reportedly located and killed only one: Marwan Issa, the second-in-command of Hamas' military wing. "Israel" targeted the military leader of the Izz al-Din al-Qassam Brigades, Mohammed Deif, in a recent airstrike that killed about 100 Palestinians and injured hundreds, according to Palestinian health officials.

Neither Israeli Occupation nor the United States has confirmed whether Deif was successfully targeted.

In communications obtained by the Associated Press, senior Hamas leaders in Gaza urged external leaders to accept Biden's ceasefire proposal, citing the severe losses and dire conditions in Gaza. This may indicate a willingness to end the fighting, as Hamas recently dropped its primary demand that a ceasefire agreement includes assurances leading to a permanent ceasefire, a long-standing sticking point rejected by Israeli Occupation.

Netanyahu has insisted that any agreement must allow Israeli Occupation to resume fighting until its war objectives are met.

This means a ceasefire could commence, leading to the release of some "Israeli" hostages and Palestinian prisoners, before Israeli Occupation resumes its military operations.

Biden's proposed framework includes negotiating a permanent ceasefire during the initial phase, which would continue as long as negotiations persist.