Israeli PM reports progress in hostage release talks with Hamas

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has said that progress was being made on the release of hostages held by Hamas in the Gaza Strip.

“We are making progress. I don’t think it’s worth saying too much, not at even this moment, but I hope there will be good news soon,” the Israeli prime minister told reservists, according to The Guardian.

The Times of Israel earlier reported Qatar foreign ministry spokesperson Majed Al-Ansari as saying “we are at the closest point we ever had been in reaching an agreement,” adding that negotiations were at a “critical and final stage”.

Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh said this morning: “We are close to reaching a deal on a truce [with Israel]”, adding that the group had delivered its response to Qatari mediators.

It is reported that the deal would involve a multi-day pause in hostilities, the release of about 50 civilian hostages by Hamas and the release of Palestinian women and children held in Israeli custody.

Any agreement would mark the biggest hostage release and first prisoner swap since the 7 October Hamas attack inside Israel. To date, just four of the estimated 240 people seized and abducted into Gaza have been returned to Israel.

Before the war, Israel was holding about 5,200 Palestinians in custody, and since 7 October there have been more than 2,900 further arrests. Human rights and monitoring groups believe Israel is holding at least 95 women, 37 journalists and 145 children among them.