Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said that a new agreement with Hamas could soon lead to the release of more hostages. Speaking in an interview on Newsmax's The Record with Greta Van Susteren, he expressed hope that the deal could be finalised within days.
Netanyahu said that 50 hostages remain in Hamas captivity, but only 20 are believed to still be alive.
“I want to bring all of them back,” he said. “This deal would potentially return half of the living and half of the deceased. That would leave us with 10 living and around 12 dead still in Gaza but I’ll bring them back, too.”
The 7 October, 2023 Hamas assault on southern Israel resulted in the deaths of around 1,200 people and 251 were taken as hostages, according to Israeli data. Since then, Israel's response has killed more than 57,000 Palestinians and caused widespread destruction across Gaza, according to Gaza’s health authorities.
There have been two ceasefires so far, one in November 2023 and another in January 2025. Netanyahu indicated that a new 60-day ceasefire is likely, which could serve as a basis for broader peace talks.
Israel says Hamas has outlined obstacles to a deal including demands for increased humanitarian aid, Israeli troop withdrawal from Gaza, and solid assurances of a permanent ceasefire.
Netanyahu gave the interview during his third visit to Washington since President Donald Trump returned to office in January. He praised Trump, calling him “an unparalleled friend and supporter of Israel.”
The Israeli leader also addressed last month’s joint U.S.-Israeli strikes on Iran, which Trump claimed had destroyed three of Iran’s nuclear facilities.
Netanyahu said Iran had been only months away from producing nuclear weapons. However Iran has always denied this, and has said it does not intend to produce nuclear weapons. Tehran has said its nuclear programme is for peaceful purposes.
The death toll from an overnight Russian attack on the Kyiv region rose to four, including three children, Kyiv regional authorities said on Sunday...
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Iran's Revolutionary Guards Navy said a Togo-flagged oil tanker was struck while attempting to make an “illegal passage” through the Strait of Hormuz, Iranian state media said early on Friday.
Saudi civil defence sent an all-clear on Saturday after issuing alerts for a second time for potential danger in Riyadh and the city of Al-Kharj east of the capital, amid an uptick in attacks by Iran-aligned Houthis on the Gulf country.
The European Union will disburse €3.3 billion ($3.8 billion) to Ukraine for missiles and drones, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said after a phone call with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
Houthi attacks target Riyadh amid concerns over Saudi oil supplies, as Iran says it will not reopen the Strait of Hormuz until its conditions are met and U.S. commitments are implemented, parliament speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf said on Sunday.
The U.S. State Department approved a $2.7 billion military sale to Ukraine for air-defence development upgrades, along with related equipment and services, the department said. Meanwhile, Ukrainian authorities reported at least 10 people had died in Russian attacks over the last 24 hours.
German voters cast ballots on Sunday in two state elections that could add to the political pressure on Chancellor Friedrich Merz, as his government faces growing public frustration and a resurgent far right.
Iraq has returned restricted airspace across the western part of the country to civilian authorities, ending limits imposed for military operations against Islamic State since 2016, the Transport Ministry said.
Denmark and Greenland have moved to reassure the public that their sovereignty will remain intact under a new security agreement with the United States.
World leaders are set to gather at the United Nations General Assembly in New York for several days of high-level debate, with Iran, Ukraine, artificial intelligence (AI) and a range of global crises expected to dominate discussions this week.
Ed Sheeran has broken his silence on the controversy surrounding his U.S. tour, apologising for decisions made after rapper Macklemore was removed from the line-up over his public support for Palestine.
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