Major progress in talks to free hostages: Netanyahu
“Significant progress” has been made in efforts to secure the release of hostages being held in the Gaza Strip, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says.
Benjamin Netanyahu Pic: Abir Sultan/AP
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says there had been “significant progress” in efforts to secure the release of the remaining hostages in the Gaza Strip but that it is “too soon” to raise hopes that a deal would be reached.
Despite efforts by the United States, Egypt and Qatar to restore a ceasefire in the enclave, neither Israel nor Hamas has shown willingness to back down on core demands, with each side blaming the other for the failure to reach a deal.
Netanyahu, who has come under pressure from within his coalition to continue the war and block humanitarian aid from entering the Gaza Strip, said in a video statement shared by his office that there had been progress but did not provide details.
A source familiar with the negotiations said that the United States had been giving Hamas more assurances, in the form of steps that would lead to an end to the war but said it was US officials who were optimistic, not Israeli ones.
The source said there was pressure from the US to have a deal done as soon as possible.
The White House National Security Council and representatives for US envoy Steve Witkoff, who is leading US efforts in the ceasefire talks, did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
Neither did Hamas representatives.
Israel’s leadership has said that it would wage war until the remaining 55 hostages held in the Gaza Strip are freed and when Hamas, whose October 2023 attack sparked the war, has been dismantled.
Hamas, which has ruled the enclave since 2007, has said it would no longer govern after the war if a Palestinian non-partisan technocratic committee took over but it has refused to disarm.
The US has proposed a 60-day ceasefire between Israel and Hamas.
Israel said it would abide by the terms but Hamas has sought amendments.
The militants have said that they would release all hostages in exchange for a permanent end to the war.
The war in the Gaza Strip has raged since Hamas-led militants killed 1200 people in Israel in the October 2023 attack and took 251 hostages back to the enclave, according to Israeli tallies.
Israel responded with a military campaign that has killed more than 54,000 Palestinians, according to Gaza health authorities.
