Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu reportedly expressed guarded optimism on Thursday that a long-awaited hostage release deal with Hamas could be finalized “in a few days,” potentially as the cornerstone of a 60-day cease-fire in Gaza.
In an interview on Newsmax’s The Record with Greta Van Susteren, Mr. Netanyahu said that Israel and mediators had reached an agreement that would secure the release of roughly half of the remaining hostages—both living and deceased.
He suggested that roughly 10 hostages still believed alive, along with approximately 12 bodies, would be returned in the first phase, and pledged to pursue the remaining captives thereafter.
“I want to take them all out,” Mr. Netanyahu said, “and I hope we can complete it in a few days.” He described the potential deal as part of a phased process: “We’ll probably have a 60-day cease-fire. Get the first batch out and then use the 60 days to try to negotiate an end to this.”
Fifty Israeli hostages remain captive since Hamas’s October 7, 2023, assault on southern Israel—an attack that killed around 1,200 people and saw 251 Israelis taken hostage, according to Israeli figures.
Of those still held, security officials believe only about 20 remain alive. Israeli retaliation since then has led to more than 57,000 Palestinian fatalities, according to Gaza’s health ministry.
The proposed 60-day pause in hostilities follows two previous temporary truces in November 2023 and January 2025.
U.S.-mediated negotiations in Doha, Qatar, have incrementally narrowed differences, though key matters — such as humanitarian access, Israeli withdrawal from parts of Gaza, disarmament guarantees, and Hamas’s future role — remain unresolved.
Mr. Netanyahu emphasized Israel’s insistence that any cease-fire include Hamas’s disarmament and framework for a lasting peace.
“This could end tomorrow — today, if Hamas lays down its arms,” he said, warning that if negotiations collapse, Israel would resume military operations with full force.
He also reiterated gratitude for the support from U.S. officials, especially President Donald Trump, whom he described as Israel’s “best friend” in the White House.
Mr. Netanyahu’s visit to Washington marked his third since early in Trump’s term, during which the two discussed hostages, cease-fire terms, and recent Israeli-U.S. strikes on Iran’s nuclear facilities—blows Mr. Trump claimed “obliterated” three sites.
U.S. officials, including President Trump’s envoy Steve Witkoff, have backed the broad outlines of a deal involving a phased return of hostages and a temporary military pause.
While some diplomats caution that final agreement could still take another week or two, Mr. Netanyahu’s announcement signals that Israel may soon announce a breakthrough—and officially begin charting a path toward ending a devastating 21-month conflict.
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