An Israeli official said late on Saturday that the latest comments by U.S. President Donald Trump that 10 Israeli hostages will soon be released were made following real progress in the negotiations in Doha.
“We got most of the hostages back. We’re going to have another 10 coming very shortly, and we hope to have that finished quickly,” Trump said during a dinner with Republican senators at the White House.
Protesters march in Tel Aviv demanding a deal in Gaza to bring hostages home
(Dana Kopel)
"These statements are not delusional, his man is involved in the negotiations," the official said referring to U.S. envoy Steve Witkoff. "There is a significant reduction in the gaps but Hamas' strategy is to prolong the negotiations," he said. "They will try to play for more and more time."
The official said Israel accepted that a deal would be agreed and said the question of how many Palestinian prisoners would be released in exchange of the hostages, can also be settled. "If you want to end this, it can end. Hamas is stalling," he said.
Other officials aware of the details of the negotiations, have also expressed careful optimism and believe a deal could be reached but add that nothing is final. One estimated the chances for a deal at 80% and said there is now the expectation that Witkoff would arrive in Qatar to seal the deal after he postponed his arrival while disagreements between the sides remained and there was no real progress.
The officials said Qatari Prime Minister Mohammed Al Thani who returned to Doha after dining with U.S. President Trump at the White House, was a critical player in the negotiations. "Trump's optimism followed the two leader's private dinner," one of the officials said.
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Demonstrators call on President Trump to pressure Prime Minister Netanyahu to make a deal in Gaza
(Photo: Dana Kopel )
"There are more positive signs. We estimate a deal could be finalized within two weeks. Hamas was difficult on the matter of prisoner releases but as far as we know, the Qataris, pushed them and there has been movement."
The main obstacle in the talks is over where the IDF would be positioned after a withdrawal of troops from Gaza but Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu compromised and agreed to withdraw from the Morag Corridor that cuts Rafah off from Khan Younis, in the southern part of the Gaza Strip. Some security officials have expressed concern over the move but the IDF said that the military would be able to implement any decision made by the government.
Israel's willingness to compromise comes after international pressure that has only increased amid reports of civilian casualties often as they try to come near food distribution centers and after a church in Gaza was hit by IDF fire, killing three.
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Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had to issue a public apology after a call with Trump and even called Pope Leo XIV and assured him a ceasefire deal was near.
After Israel's compromise the mediators presented a new proposal that is more favorable to the Hamas demands on the number of Palestinian prisoners to be released for each Israeli hostage.
The government has been considering sending a delegation of higher level officials to Doha to join the talks if Witkoff travels to Qatar.
The families of hostages demonstrated along with tens of thousands of supporters, outside the American embassy in Tel Aviv on Saturday night calling on Trump to pressure the parties to make a deal.