Netanyahu, who has been repeatedly accused of sabotaging ceasefire talks, did not give a timeline for a possible deal. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has sent signals to lawmakers that an agreement about the war on Gaza may be approaching.
I wish to say cautiously that there has been some progress, and we will not stop acting until we bring them all home,” Netanyahu said in parliament on Monday, referring to the Israeli captives being held in Gaza since October 2023.
He told the Knesset he does not know how long it will take and cannot divulge details, but his administration is taking serious action to bring the captives back. Recent days have seen heated talks of a possible ceasefire agreement following indirect negotiations between Israel and Hamas being held in Doha through Qatar, Egypt, and the United States.
Hamas, Palestinian Islamic Jihad and the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine also said progress had been made after meeting on Saturday in Cairo. They said the possibility of reaching an agreement is closer than ever, coming after Hamas said in a statement that a deal would be possible if Israel stops imposing new conditions.
Since the October 7, 2023, attack on Israel by Hamas and others, there have been many rounds of negotiations during which some 250 people were taken to the Gaza Strip and more than 1,100 people killed.
It is believed that 96 of the captives remain in the besieged enclave, including the bodies of 34 people confirmed dead by the Israeli military.
Hamas released 105 civilians during a weeklong truce in late November, and four others were released before that, but no negotiations since have led to results as the Israeli military intensified its attacks on Gaza.
