Netanyahu also stated that he wanted to sign new peace accords with Arab countries, similar to the “Abraham Accords” negotiated in 2020 by the United States, which saw Bahrain, the United Arab Emirates and Morocco establish formal ties with Israel.
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Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu told lawmakers on Monday that “some progress” had been made in negotiations to secure the release of hostages held in Gaza.
Netanyahu’s comments came two days after three Palestinian militant groups issued a rare joint statement, stating that a ceasefire deal and a prisoner exchange were “closer than ever.”
In recent days, indirect negotiations between Israel and Hamas, mediated by Qatar, Egypt, and the United States, were held in Doha, rekindling hopes of an agreement after over 14 months of conflict in Gaza.
An Egyptian report on Sunday stated that Israel is demanding the release of 11 Israeli men in the first round of hostage exchanges. Meanwhile, a BBC report from the previous evening indicated that the talks are 90 percent agreed upon, although the control of the Philadelphi Corridor, which lies along the Gaza-Egypt border, remains a key point of contention.
“Everything we are doing cannot be disclosed. We are taking action to bring them back. 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.
“I want to say to the families of the hostages: We are thinking of you and we will not give up on your loved ones, who are our loved ones as well.”
On Saturday, Hamas, Islamic Jihad and the leftist Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine said in a joint statement that progress had been made to reach a ceasefire deal.
“The possibility of reaching an agreement (for a ceasefire and prisoner exchange deal) is closer than ever, provided the enemy stops imposing new conditions,” the three groups said after they held talks in Cairo a day earlier.
During the unprecedented Hamas attack on Israel on October 7, 2023, 251 people were abducted, of whom 96 remain hostages in Gaza, including 34 declared dead by the military.
“Moderate Arab countries view Israel as a regional power and a potential ally. I intend to seize this opportunity to the fullest,” he said.
“Together with our American friends, I plan to expand the Abraham Accords… and thus change even more dramatically the face of the Middle East.”
With inputs from agencies.