Israel is “closer than ever” to reaching a deal with Hamas for the release of hostages held in Gaza, Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz told Knesset lawmakers on Monday, as reported by Times of Israel.
Katz’s remarks were reportedly made during a closed-door meeting with the Knesset Foreign Affairs and Defence Committee, but leaks of his comments were widely reported in the Hebrew press.
“Israel is closer than ever to another hostage deal,” Katz was quoted as saying. He added, “The less said the better,” echoing comments made by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Sunday.
Netanyahu, following a conversation with U.S. President-elect Donald Trump about efforts to free the hostages, stated:
“We are working all the time, without rest, to bring our hostages home. The less we talk about it, the better — that way, with God’s help, we will succeed,” Times of Israel quoted him as saying.
Must Read: Canada Declares Funding For Border Security Amid Trump’s Tariff Threat
Trump, meanwhile, has warned those holding hostages in the Middle East of facing “unprecedented American firepower” if they are not released before he takes office on January 20.
Katz expressed confidence that the current deal on the table would be supported by most of the coalition and would not face significant internal resistance. According to the Walla news site, he indicated that the agreement would not involve an open-ended halt to hostilities, a key demand from Hamas but one opposed by many in Netanyahu’s hard-right coalition.
“There’s flexibility on the other side. They understand we’re not going to end the war,” Katz was quoted as saying.
The October 7 Hamas terror attack on Israel resulted in the deaths of over 1,200 people and the capture of more than 250 hostages, with approximately 100 still believed to be held in Gaza. Israel’s subsequent military offensive in Gaza has killed over 45,000 Palestinians.
Efforts to strike a new agreement have repeatedly stalled since the late-November 2023 deal, during which 105 hostages were released over a weeklong truce.
Meanwhile, Times of Israel cited a separate report by the Saudi Asharq News outlet, which quoted an unnamed Hamas leader as saying that the sides were “closer than ever” to a deal — “if Netanyahu doesn’t obstruct it.”
The Hamas source claimed the group had shown “great flexibility” in its latest proposal, which includes “a gradual end to the war and a gradual withdrawal of Israeli forces according to an agreed-upon timetable, and guarantees from international mediators.”
Also Read: US Activist Killed In West Bank, Family Pleads With State Secy Blinken For Investigation
