Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has told the parents of hostage Eitan Mor that Israel is pursuing a deal that would see the release of 10 of the remaining hostages held in Gaza.
Netanyahu made the claim in a call with Zvika and Efrat Mor, whose son Eitan, 23, was kidnapped while working as a security guard at the Nova music festival during the Hamas attacks on October 7.
The call was reported by the Tikva Forum, a group co-founded by Zvika Mor, which advocates for a more aggressive stance on hostage negotiations.
“Tzvika and Efrat Mor emphasised to the prime minister the position of the Tikva Forum that all the hostages need to be released in one phase on the same bus, without selection between them,” the forum said in a statement.
Mor’s family has recently revealed that they received a sign of life for the first time since he was seen trying to usher festival-goers to safety.
But they oppose the release of Palestinian prisoners in exchange for hostages, claiming that Eitan himself was against a similar move in 2011.
His father, Tzivka, told the Associated Press: “Eitan said he didn’t want there to be a situation where they would release him for murderers.
"We know they will go back to murdering the same way they did after Gilad Shalit.”
Eitan Mor, 23 who is being held captive by Hamas in Gaza (Image: X)[Missing Credit]
The call comes as efforts intensify to broker a new ceasefire agreement and secure the release of the remaining 59 hostages, only 24 of whom are believed to still be alive.
Talks have stalled over Israel’s demand for the release of 11 hostages in exchange for a long-term ceasefire, while Hamas has so far agreed to release only five.
A Hamas official, quoted by Lebanon’s Al-Mayadeen, said the group is now reviewing an Israeli proposal offering a 45-day ceasefire in return for 10 hostages.
Saudi-owned Al-Arabiya reported on Sunday that Hamas had agreed in principle to a phased release of hostages and to provide updated information on those still in captivity.
The United States is pushing to finalise a deal by the end of the month, with Qatari and Egyptian mediators meeting Hamas leaders in Cairo.
A source told the Saudi-owned Asharq channel that a Hamas delegation led by Khalil al-Hayya would take part in these talks.
Opposition politician Benny Gantz called for immediate action. “Time is good only for Hamas and bad for the hostages,” he said. “A plan to release all the hostages is what is best for Israel – security-wise, socially, and morally.”
Israeli officials told The Jerusalem Post last week there had been “some movement” in negotiations. On the same day, US President Donald Trump claimed the US was “close to getting hostages in Gaza back”.
The discussion over the future of Hamas’s leadership in Gaza has reportedly been delayed as negotiations focus on the hostage release.
