Israel-Hamas war: There 'could be' potential deal to release hostages held in Gaza, says Benjamin Netanyahu

Israel Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Sunday said that there is a likelihood of a deal to free hostages held by Hamas and other terrorist groups in Gaza. Netanyahu’s comments came amid reports of a potential proposal to exchange them for Palestinian security prisoners.

“I think the less I say about it, the more I’ll increase the chances that it materializes,” Netanyahu said on NBC News’ Meet the Press. Netanyahu further said that no deal was closed until Israel’s forces began the ground operations in Gaza.

“We heard that there was an impending [hostage] deal of this kind or of that kind and then we learned that it was all hokum. But the minute we started the ground, that began to change,” he said. Before praising the work of the Israeli Defence Forces (IDF), any deal was “the result of the pressure”.

Netanyahu asserted that military pressure “is the one thing that might create a deal, and if a deal is available, well, we will talk about it when it’s there. We’ll announce it if it’s achievable.” When asked about where all the hostages were held at present, Netanyahu said that Israel knows “a great deal” but he won’t provide any more information.

Netanyahu’s NBC News interview came in the light of a Biden administration official’s comments on the Israel-Hamas situation. The official told the US-based news outlet that a possible deal for the hostages was being considered.  

They said that if these talks were materialised, about 80 women and children would be released in exchange for the release of Palestinian women and teenagers held by Israel. They also added that the US is also exploring other options, while adding that there is no certainty of any of these options succeeding.

Meanwhile, a Palestinian official told news agency Reuters that Hamas has suspended negotiations with Israel over military’s activities around the Al-Shifa Hospital. The IDF is conducting fierce battles with gunmen near the hospital and Tel Aviv says that Hamas’ main command centre is located in tunnels near Shifa.

On Sunday, Hamas’ health ministry said that 3 babies lost their lives in the neonatal unit of the hospital after it went out of service. Another person was killed by an Israeli shell in the intensive care unit (ICU), the health ministry said.

Besides Al-Shifa, Gaza’s second-largest hospital Al-Quds said that it was suspending its operations. The IDF, on the other hand, said that they are enabling a passage from the Shifa, Rantisi and Nasser hospitals in northern Gaza to evacuate civilians and babies southwards. 

Also Read: Protean eGov Tech disappoints at debut; listed at par at Rs 792 on BSE

Also Read: 'Tiger 3' box office collection day 1: Salman Khan's film sees bumper Diwali 2023, collects around Rs 45 crore