Israel seeks prisoner exchange deal with Hamas by month’s end: Report

JERUSALEM

Israel is aiming to finalize a prisoner exchange deal with the Palestinian group Hamas before the end of the month, local media reported Monday.

Israel’s Yedioth Ahronoth daily cited an unnamed senior Israeli official who expressed optimism about a potential agreement.

The claim aligns with earlier statements from the Israeli Public Broadcasting Corporation (KAN) which described “unprecedented progress” in indirect negotiations and called this week “crucial” for a deal.

Israel currently holds more than 10,300 Palestinians in its prisons, while Hamas is detaining around 100 Israelis in Gaza. The group has previously said that dozens of the detainees were killed in indiscriminate Israeli airstrikes.

“Our goal is to secure an agreement to release the abductees in Gaza by the end of this month,” the unnamed Israeli official told the newspaper, indicating that while most terms of the deal are clear, sticking points remain over the number of hostages to be released in the first phase.

“There are significant differences over the number of hostages to be freed. Hamas is willing to release a small group, but Israel is pushing to double that figure,” the official said.

Negotiations are focused on the number and identities of the hostages to be exchanged, he added.

Separately, Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar and Defense Minister Israel Katz met privately Monday with Adam Boehler, US President-elect Donald Trump’s incoming hostage affairs envoy. Boehler requested confidentiality regarding the meeting's details, according to local media.

Hamas has not yet commented on the reports but has repeatedly indicated its willingness to negotiate. In May, the group accepted a proposal by US President Joe Biden, but Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu later rejected it, insisting on continuing military operations in Gaza.

Hamas has maintained that any agreement requires a complete cease-fire and the Israeli military’s withdrawal from Gaza.

Netanyahu faces criticism from opposition leaders and families of Israeli hostages, who accuse him of delaying an agreement to preserve his political position.

Far-right ministers including National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir and Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich have threatened to withdraw from Netanyahu’s governing coalition if the government agrees to end the war.

Israel has continued a genocidal war on the Gaza Strip that has killed over 45,000 people, mostly women and children, since an attack by Hamas on Oct. 7, 2023.

The International Criminal Court (ICC) issued arrest warrants last month for Netanyahu and his former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant for war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza.

Israel also faces a genocide case at the International Court of Justice for its war on Gaza.

*Writing by Mohammad Sio