Israel
Netanyahu denies reports of 'imminent' hostage deal
The Israeli PM said 'as of now' there was no deal with Hamas
November 19, 2023 07:53
By Josh Kaplan
1 min read
The Israeli PM said 'as of now' there was no deal with Hamas
November 19, 2023 07:53By Josh Kaplan
Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu has denied media reports that a hostage deal to free dozens of Israeli captives is 'imminent'.
Late Saturday, the Washington Post reported that "Israel and Hamas are close to an agreement on a U.S.-brokered deal that would free dozens of women and children held hostage in Gaza in exchange for a five-day pause in fighting."
The Post, citing Arab officials in Qatar and elsewhere said that the six-page deal stipulated that both sides would: “freeze combat operations for at least five days while an initial 50 or more" hostages would be released.
A woman cries as she holds a photo of a hostage while thousands of people and the families of kidnapped Israelis participate in a rally demanding that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu secures the release of the hostages, outside The Museum of Modern Art known as the 'The Hostages and Missing Square' on November 18, 2023 in Tel Aviv, Israel. (Photo by Alexi J. Rosenfeld/Getty Images)
Hamas is believed to have taken some 240 Israelis hostage during its October 7 assault on southern Israel during which it murdered 1,200 people and wounded more than 5,000.
On Saturday night, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu dismissed “a lot of incorrect reports” regarding a deal during a lengthy joint press conference at the Kirya military headquarters in Tel Aviv alongside Defense Minister Yoav Gallant and minister-without-portfolio in the War Cabinet Benny Gantz.
Questioned by the Israeli press on whether he was leaving a deal on the table, Netanyahu said that there was no serious proposal from Hamas.
He said: “We’re doing the utmost to bring back the most possible, including in stages, and we are united on this.”
