Thirty-eight days after over 200 people were taken hostage by Hamas and other Gaza-based militant groups, Tel Aviv seems to have reached a potential deal with the Hamas. As per the agreement, Hamas would release around 80 hostages from Gaza in exchange for Palestinian women and teenagers held by Israel.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu told US-based NBC News that there "could be" a potential deal to release some of the hostages. He, however, refused to divulge more details. "I think the less I say about it, the more I’ll increase the chances that it materialises," he said in the interview.
Netanyahu said that any prospects of a deal materialised only after his forces began the ground operation in Gaza. "We heard that there was an impending [hostage] deal of this kind or of that kind and then we learned that it was all hokum. But the minute we started the ground operation, that began to change," Netanyahu said.
Addig that the deal was "the results of pressure, military pressure," the PM said: "That’s the one thing that might create a deal and if a deal is available. Well, we will talk about it when it’s there. We’ll announce it if it’s achievable," he said.
WATCH: Israel PM @netanyahu discusses a potential deal for the Israeli hostages' return.@kwelkernbc: “Is there a potential deal?”
— Meet the Press (@MeetThePress) November 12, 2023
“There could be, but I think the less I say about it, the more I’ll increase the chances that it materializes." pic.twitter.com/RXc3I7sOY3
The report also quoted a Biden administration official who confirmed that a possible deal for the release of hostages was being discussed. This would see the release of about 80 women and children in exchange for the release of Palestinian women and teenagers held by Israel, the official said. They added that the U.S. is also exploring other options and there is no certainty that any of them will succeed.
Hamas on Sunday said it is suspending hostage negotiations because of the way Israel handled the al-Shifa hospital in Gaza, a Palestinian official briefed on the hostage talks told Reuters.
Meanwhile, on fighting near the Al-Shifa hospital, Netanyahu told NBC that Israel offered to supply fuel to the hospital but that the offer was rejected.
"On the contrary, we offered actually, last night, to give them enough fuel to operate the hospital, operate the incubators and so on, because we (have) no battle with patients or civilians at all," Netanyahu said.
"Hamas, (which) is hiding in the hospitals and placing itself there, doesn't want the fuel for the hospital ... they want to get fuel that they'll take from the hospitals to their tunnels, to their war machine," the Prime Minister said.
Israel's military said it was ready to evacuate babies from Al Shifa on Sunday, but Palestinian officials said people inside were still trapped, with three newborns dead and dozens at risk from a power outage.
