Netanyahu: Hopeful for Agreement with Hamas to Include Release of 50 Prisoners

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu expressed optimism about nearing an agreement with Hamas aimed at releasing a number of Israeli prisoners held in Gaza in exchange for a temporary ceasefire.

Netanyahu said in an interview with "Newsmaks" channel that there are around 50 prisoners still held by Hamas, with only 20 of them believed to still be alive.

He added: "I want all of them released. We now have an agreement that is supposed to release half of the living and half of the deceased," explaining that the agreement will keep around 10 living and approximately 12 deceased, but he affirmed his determination to bring them all back.

Netanyahu indicated that the agreement could lead to a 60-day ceasefire, a period during which both parties can work on ending the ongoing conflict. However, Hamas announced that it presented a comprehensive deal which Netanyahu rejected, while sources confirm that there has been no tangible progress in the negotiations so far.

In the same context, Netanyahu addressed the military strikes carried out by Israel and the United States against Iranian sites last month, saying that these attacks "set Iran back years" in its nuclear project.

He stated that Iran was on the verge of producing nuclear bombs within months if not for the military intervention, pointing out that the joint strikes with Washington destroyed three sensitive nuclear sites.

Netanyahu's remarks came at the end of his third visit to the US capital Washington since Donald Trump returned to the presidency in January, praising the strong support Israel receives from the Trump administration, saying: "Israel has never received such support from any US administration as it does now."