'Gone with the wind': Egypt braces for potential Hamas-Israel ceasefire talks collapse after Ismail Haniyeh's assassination

Egypt anticipates that the already contentious truce talks between Israel and the Hamas faction are likely to collapse as a result of Israel's assassination of Palestinian leader Ismail Haniyeh in the early hours of Wednesday in the Iranian capital, Tehran as the deadly war on Gaza is passing its 300th day. Haniyeh was not only the head of the political arm of Hamas, but also lead the negotiating team. 

An Egyptian official source close to the ongoing negotiations told The New Arab that "whatever mediators have achieved in recent months to reach any common grounds between the Israelis and Hamas leaders have gone with the wind after Israel had killed the head of Hamas political bureau, Haniyeh."

"Currently, there is a state of confusion inside diplomatic and intelligence circles in Egypt and Qatar amid rage among Palestinian leaders and threats to retaliate. We can't sense any solid base to take things from right now," added the source, on condition of anonymity due to the political sensitivity of the subject.

Unconfirmed reports indicated that Egypt has been coordinating with neighbouring states to prepare for possible scenarios in case the Lebanese Hezbollah militant group or Iran seek to take retaliatory measures against Israel.

A Hezbollah commander, Fuad Shukr, was also killed by an Israeli airstrike in south Beirut as fears mounted of a wider conflict.

Egypt's official response to the assassination of Haniyeh has widely been viewed as uncertain. In a statement released hours after Haniyeh's murder on Wednesday, the Egyptian Foreign Ministry denounced what it described as "a serious escalation of events" likely to "jeopardise the truce negotiations" between Hamas and Israel without directly referring to Haniyeh by name, which sparked the outrage of pro-Palestine Egyptians.  

A more decisive stance has been taken by Al-Azhar institution, though.

In a strongly-worded statement, the region's highest Sunni Islamic authority denounced what it labelled as "an atrocious crime committed by the treacherous occupier," Israel, defining Haniyeh as "a martyr who spent his life defending his land."

"Such assassinations will not impact the strong will of the resistance of the Palestinian people, who have made great sacrifices to regain their rights and establish an independent…state whose capital is Jerusalem," the statement read.      

"The official communiqué by the foreign ministry avoided the mention of Haniyeh by name as he is classified as a leader in a 'terror organisation', probably hoping to revive talks under a new leadership," according to high-profile political sociologist Dr Said Sadek.

"The Hamas resistance model is deemed risky by many Arab regimes who maintain business as usual with Israel," Sadek told TNA.

Social media platforms, meanwhile, turned into a verbal war zone hours following the Israeli assassination.

While many social media users attempted to distort the image of the slain Palestinian leader, adopting a conspiracy theory that pinned on Hamas the over decade-long insurgency Egypt's once-restive North Sinai province had encountered, others defended his legacy of resistance.

Ultimately, all in Egypt—officials and citizens—are keeping their eyes peeled to what will happen yet.