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.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy arrived in Poland on Thursday following a summit of the European Council in Brussels....
The release of a new collection of documents by the U.S. Department of Justice has reopened long-running questions about how the Jeffrey Epstein case ...
The United States is not concerned about a potential escalation with Russia over Venezuela, Secretary of State Marco Rubio has said, as President Dona...
The U.S. military carried out large-scale strikes on dozens of Islamic State targets in Syria on Friday in response to an attack last week that killed...
US intelligence assessments indicate that Russian President Vladimir Putin continues to seek full control of Ukraine and to expand Russia’s influenc...
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy arrived in Poland on Thursday following a summit of the European Council in Brussels.
US intelligence assessments indicate that Russian President Vladimir Putin continues to seek full control of Ukraine and to expand Russia’s influence in parts of Europe formerly under Soviet rule, contradicting repeated claims that Moscow poses no threat to the continent.
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has issued a stark warning over the humanitarian situation in the Gaza Strip.
Uzbek President Shavkat Mirziyoyev’s official visit to Tokyo represents more than a strengthening of bilateral relations; it is a strategic step that broadens the economic and diplomatic horizons of the region.
Ukraine has welcomed the European Union’s decision to provide €90 billion in support over the next two years, calling it a vital lifeline even as the bloc failed to reach agreement on using frozen Russian assets to finance the aid.
European Union foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas has warned that attempts to reach a peace agreement in Ukraine are being undermined by Russia’s continued refusal to engage meaningfully in negotiations.
Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi has held a phone conversation with his Venezuelan counterpart Yvan Gil at the latter’s request.
Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko has confirmed that Russian-made Oreshnik missile systems have been deployed on Belarusian territory and placed on combat alert.
The European Union has postponed signing its long-awaited free trade agreement with the Mercosur bloc until January, after failing to secure sufficient backing from member states, according to media reports.
The release of a new collection of documents by the U.S. Department of Justice has reopened long-running questions about how the Jeffrey Epstein case has been handled, what has been made public, and what remains undisclosed.
The United States is not concerned about a potential escalation with Russia over Venezuela, Secretary of State Marco Rubio has said, as President Donald Trump increases US military deployments in the Caribbean.
The U.S. military carried out large-scale strikes on dozens of Islamic State targets in Syria on Friday in response to an attack last week that killed American personnel, U.S. officials said.
US intelligence assessments indicate that Russian President Vladimir Putin continues to seek full control of Ukraine and to expand Russia’s influence in parts of Europe formerly under Soviet rule, contradicting repeated claims that Moscow poses no threat to the continent.
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has issued a stark warning over the humanitarian situation in the Gaza Strip.
You can download the AnewZ application from Play Store and the App Store.
What is your opinion on this topic?
Leave the first comment