After senior Israeli figures warned that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's remarks could jeopardize a deal, Netanyahu held a midday meeting with bereaved families from Heroism Forum, telling them: “We will not move to any other clause of Trump’s 20-point plan until the first clause - the release of all the hostages, the living and the dead, every one of them - is fulfilled. Until they are all transferred to Israeli territory, we will not proceed to any other clause."
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Donald Trump, Benjamin Netanyahu, Khalil al-Hayya
(Photo: Brendan Smialowski AFP, Alex Kolomoisky)
Netanyahu said that if the hostages are not released within the 72-hour period set by U.S. President Donald Trump, “Israel will return to fighting with the full backing of all involved countries.”
Hamas officials, however, told The New York Times that the organization would struggle to free all the hostages within 72 hours. Israeli sources acknowledged that Hamas would likely need more time.
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Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's meeting with representatives of the Heroism Forum
(Photo: Prime Minister's Office)
Addressing criticism from the political right about his remarks on the deal, Netanyahu sought to reassure the families, saying the Palestinian Authority will not govern Gaza after any agreement.
“No representative of Hamas and no representative of the Palestinian Authority will be involved in governing the strip. Israel will be responsible for and involved in the demilitarization of the strip,” he said.
Meanwhile, a senior Hamas official told AFP that the group is eager to end the war and finalize an agreement based on conditions on the ground. “If the occupation [Israel, in the official’s words] has genuine intentions to reach an agreement, we are ready. They must not delay implementation of the plan,” the official said.
A separate Palestinian official said the two negotiating teams will meet in the same building in Cairo. The goal of the talks, the official said, is to set timetables and prepare conditions on the ground for the release of the hostages, which would in turn lead to the release of Palestinian prisoners.
The official added that Hamas insists Israel stop all military activity in Gaza during negotiations, including air and ground operations.
As part of preparations for the first stage of the hostage release plan, Coordinator for the Hostages and the Missing Gal Hirsch met with the head of the International Committee of the Red Cross delegation in Israel, Julien Larsson.
As in previous releases, the Red Cross will receive the hostages from Hamas and oversee the release of prisoners from Israeli jails.