Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Tuesday afternoon in a video he released that there is “significant progress” regarding the hostages. Netanyahu added: "I think it’s too early to give hope, but we are working tirelessly at this time – all the time. I hope we can move forward."
After addressing the hostage issue, Netanyahu addressed the negotiations over a military draft exemption law for ultra-Orthodox Jews, as he continues to try to convince the Haredi parties that there is no reason to dismantle the government.
“Right now, some of our best people are working to draft a good law for the State of Israel. A good law means we respect Torah students, we don’t disgrace them – it’s a value of the Jewish people throughout the generations. At the same time, we’re also working to achieve a significant recruitment,” Netanyahu said.
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Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says in video released by his office that there is 'significant progress' regarding the hostages
(Photo: Prime Minister's spokesman)
“The law we’re discussing will bring in thousands of ultra-Orthodox – something that hasn’t happened until now. Thousands of Haredim will enlist in the IDF in the first two years; over 10,000 Haredi boys will join the Israel Defense Forces in just the first two years. This has never happened before. It’s a big deal, and I hope we succeed in this too,” the prime minister added.
An Israeli source familiar with the matter told ynet earlier that currently there is no deal on the table. “Not yet, there is still a long way to go,” he added. Netanyahu is scheduled to hold a phone consultation with ministers and senior security officials regarding the hostages. “There is progress and positive indications, but the road is still long,” according to the source.
Another source said: “There is ongoing movement and talks. We are working with the mediators on different possible versions of the Witkoff framework, trying to agree on certain parameters that will allow negotiations to progress.”
In response to Netanyahu’s comments, the Hostages and Missing Families Forum said in a statement: “At this moment, as the prime minister again updates via the media about significant progress in negotiations, we want to remind everyone: there’s no need to reinvent the wheel. A comprehensive deal is on the table, and the prime minister could sign it tomorrow morning if he chooses to.”
The forum added: “The vast majority of the Israeli public supports a deal that will bring everyone home – 55 hostages – even at the cost of a ceasefire. No selections, no categories and no cruel separation. The families are tired of spin and false portrayals. They long for good news and hope the prime minister will have the courage to choose the only path that can guarantee an Israeli victory and national recovery. We will bring them back. We will rise.”
Idit Ohel, mother of kidnapped Alon Ohel, also responded to the prime minister's remarks. “This is not a hostage release deal – it’s a life-saving operation!” she wrote on Facebook. “The time for talk and declarations is over. It’s time to save Alon. It’s time to save all the hostages. The Israeli government is transferring hundreds of millions of shekels’ worth of medicine and aid into Gaza, while Hamas holds Israeli civilians – injured people – hostage? Our soul, the soul of the Israeli people, is tired. Our heart is broken. We want our children home!”
Sources in Israel familiar with the details denied this claim, saying that “Iran is not involved in the negotiations.”
Meanwhile, the American-Palestinian mediator Bashar al-Bahbah continues trying to get a new response from the terrorist organization to the Witkoff framework, but has so far not been successful. A senior Israeli official said: “We’re not losing hope, there’s an effort,” and added, “there is no breakthrough yet.”
Israel hopes the military pressure exerted by the IDF in Gaza, combined with diplomatic pressure on Hamas, will lead to a change in the terrorist organization's position. But so far there are no signs of that happening. The understanding is that Hamas will continue to insist on guarantees that fighting will not resume after the next deal.
U.S. Special Envoy to the Middle East Steve Witkoff had hoped for a breakthrough before the Eid al-Adha holiday, but Hamas was unwilling to compromise on its demands. Witkoff even considered visiting the region but cancelled a trip. Nevertheless, Witkoff – who previously managed to secure the release of American Israeli Edan Alexander in a move considered nearly impossible – still conveys optimism, saying he believes a resolution is possible under his framework. He remains determined and says he is doing everything to make it happen – and that he will not give up.
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Ofir Angrest is working for the return of his brother, Matan, who is being held hostage in Gaza
(Photo: Alex Kolomoisky )
One day after the release of the video showing the kidnapping of Matan Angrest, in which he is seen being pulled unconscious from a tank, thrown toward a Gazan mob and brutally beaten, his brother Ofir spoke in ynet’s studio. He said he saw the video for the first time two days ago.
“I hadn’t watched it before – I preferred to stay hopeful and rely on the last video Hamas released,” he said. “But in the end, we decided as a family that we had to share it publicly, to show and expose the terrible condition and the injustice done to Matan in this so-called humanitarian deal. Only with proof can we continue to reveal to the country and the world the terrible condition Matan is in.”
Ofir also responded to comments made by Transportation Minister Miri Regev, who said yesterday at ynet and Yedioth Ahronoth’s Women’s Conference that “elections are a danger to the hostages.”
“She hasn’t been able to bring my brother home for a year and eight months, so she shouldn’t preach to us about what will or won’t bring the hostages back, with all due respect,” he said.
