 "Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. AFP Photo")
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Sunday indicated that Israel is open to a potential agreement with Hamas that could include “ending the fighting” in Gaza, provided certain conditions are met.
While not elaborating on the full terms, Netanyahu’s statement marks a rare public signal that Israel is willing to consider a broader deal to halt hostilities, as international pressure mounts and humanitarian concerns deepen over the situation in Gaza.
“Even at this very moment, the negotiation team in Doha is working to exhaust every possibility for a deal – whether according to the Witkoff framework or as part of ending the fighting, which would include the release of all the hostages, the exile of Hamas terrorists, and the disarmament of the Gaza Strip,” his office said in a statement.
Ending the war must include the demilitarisation of the Gaza Strip as well as the exile of Hamas militants, the statement said.
A senior Israeli official said there has been little progress in the talks so far.