Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said while committed to the release of hostages, Israel would not end the war, withdraw from Gaza or agree to free thousands of convicted Palestinian terrorists.
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Netanyahu spoke after a report in the Wall Street Journal that the U.S. believes a long lull in the fighting would mean an end to war. Hamas would be willing to compromise in case of a long-term cease-fire according to American officials. In the report an Israeli official is quoted as saying that Hamas wants to end the war, but Israel does not plan to provide it with calm.
Negotiators involved in the talks, argue that it would be difficult for Israel to resume the war at its current intensity after a long pause, the WSJ said. "The U.S. also has told fellow negotiators that Israel was considering the idea of moving to a phase—once all hostages are released—during which major operations would be more limited, including airstrikes on Gaza," the paper quoted sources as saying.
The deal being negotiated includes in the initial stage the release of 15 Israeli women and children, the elderly and wounded among the hostages, and female soldiers - a total of 35 captives, in a 45-day lull in the fighting.
The release would see a day without fighting for every hostage freed and 10 additional days when Hamas would chose which additional hostages to free while negotiations continue for the second and third phases, that will see the male soldiers and the bodies that were taken to Gaza. The outline was devised so that the hostage releases can begin even before the later phases are finalized.
There is no agreement yet on the number and identity of the Palestinian prisoners that would be released from Israeli jails or on the demands from Hamas to end the war. A senior official in the terror group, based in Lebanon said Hamas demands that the war end, the Rafah crossing would be opened, all Palestinians prisoners to be released and an Arab - international commitment to rebuild Gaza.
Arab officials said the deal could be finalized within 10 days.
Earlier, Netanyahu said that public calls for a hostage release deal were harmful and as long as negotiations were discrete, their chances for success would grow.
Netanyahu spoke with the families of Israelis abducted by Hamas during the October 7 massacre, and held in the Gaza for the past 117 days. He repeated comments he had made often in recent days calling for the families, many of whom are demonstrating outside his residents and private home, to consider that their actions may bring Hamas to increase their demands.
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Members of the families of hostages held in Gaza protest outside Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's home
(Photo: Sharon Tzur)
"I ask that you understand that we are truly committed, in the full sense of the word, sincerely. This is a real effort," he said. "It is not simply for the sake of appearances, but out of our commitment to bring all the hostages, home, and I mean all of them. It is too soon to say if a deal would be made but there is a real effort, as we speak," he said.
NBC News quoted a senior Israeli official who said there were "strong indications," that an agreement that would see the release of the hostages, would be reached but added that the war cabinet had not briefed the wider forum of ministers on the terms.
While far-right National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir threatened to leave the government coalition if a deal would be agreed that would include a long-term cessation of fighting and the release of hardened convicted terrorists from Israeli jails.
Opposition leader Yair Lapid responded by saying his party would provide the government with the support it needs to approve a deal.
Officials said on Wednesday that they were waiting to hear the response from Hamas to a proposal agreed by Israel, the U.S., France, Egypt and Qatar in a meeting in Paris on Sunday. "If they are living in a dreamland, this would not work," the officials said.