Israeli politicians rule out Netanyahu will finalize hostage exchange deal

GAZA CITY, Palestine

Israeli politicians rule out that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will finalize a hostage exchange deal with Palestinian factions in Gaza, according to local media on Sunday.

Politicians, including senior members of Netanyahu's Likud Party, believe that the Israeli premier will not agree to a swap deal with Palestinians, Haaretz newspaper said.

Officials cite growing pressures on Netanyahu from his coalition partners, Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich and National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir against any swap deal with Hamas.

“Pressures exerted by Smotrich and Ben-Gvir against the deal will not allow the prime minister to violate their position," Haaretz said, citing officials.

They expressed doubts that Netanyahu could defy the position of the two far-right ministers without potentially destabilizing the government.

According to Israeli estimates, the ultra-Orthodox Shas and United Torah Judaism parties are likely to support a prisoner swap deal with Hamas.

Israeli Channel 13, citing Mossad sources, earlier said that Israeli officials were optimistic about reaching a deal to bring back Israeli hostages from Gaza.

The sources said Israel views the current moment as "opportune" for reaching an agreement with Hamas, with security authorities advising political leaders to capitalize on it.

For months, efforts by the US, Qatar, and Egypt to mediate an agreement between Israel and Hamas for a hostage exchange and cease-fire have been hampered by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's rejection of Hamas's call to halt hostilities.

Israel, flouting a UN Security Council resolution demanding an immediate cease-fire, has faced international condemnation amid its continued brutal offensive on Gaza since an Oct. 7, 2023 attack by the Palestinian group Hamas.

More than 38,150 Palestinians have since been killed, mostly women and children, and over 87,800 others injured, according to local health authorities.

Nine months into the Israeli war, vast tracts of Gaza lie in ruins amid a crippling blockade of food, clean water and medicine.

Israel stands accused of genocide at the International Court of Justice, whose latest ruling ordered it to immediately halt its military operation in the southern city of Rafah, where over a million Palestinians had sought refuge from the war before it was invaded on May 6.

* Writing by Ikram Kouachi