Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has canceled a planned three-day vacation at the Beresheet Hotel in Ramon Crater during the Sukkot holiday, amid growing momentum in indirect ceasefire talks with Hamas in Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt, centered on a U.S.-backed proposal from President Donald Trump.
Security personnel from Israel’s Shin Bet security service (Unit 730), responsible for VIP protection, had already begun preparations for the trip, sources said. The Prime Minister’s Office confirmed the vacation had been under consideration but was ultimately called off.
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Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu; Beresheet Hotel
(Photo: REUTERS/Jonathan Ernst, Shutterstock)
The canceled trip is the latest indication of significant progress in negotiations. According to officials, Netanyahu’s office has already begun drafting a government resolution to approve the deal once final understandings are reached. However, key annexes — including the list of security prisoners to be released, among them some 250 inmates serving life sentences — have not yet been finalized. Israeli officials are awaiting results from the ongoing talks in Egypt.
A senior Israeli official said Wednesday that a formal announcement of a deal between Israel and Hamas — one that would include the release of 48 hostages held in Gaza and an end to two years of fighting — could come as soon as Thursday or Friday, potentially as a diplomatic gesture to President Trump. If finalized, the release of hostages could begin as early as Saturday or early next week.
“There is real optimism,” the official told Ynet. “At this point, Hamas has few options left. There are still details to be resolved, but we are very optimistic — cautiously so. We must remember that we’re dealing with a terrorist organization. They can bring us to the brink and then pull back.”
An Egyptian source close to the negotiations told Sky News Arabia that mediators have urged both parties to sign the first stage of the agreement by Friday morning.