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Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu recently met with the families of hostages held in Gaza, informing them that a deal to secure their loved ones’ release could be imminent.
During his visit to Washington, where he is scheduled to address Congress and expected to meet with US President Joe Biden, Netanyahu told the families, “The conditions are undoubtedly ripening.This is a good sign.”
The past month has seen significant progress in efforts to reach a Gaza ceasefire deal, which was outlined by Biden in May and mediated by Egypt and Qatar. US secretary of state Anthony Blinken expressed optimism on Friday, saying that negotiators were “driving toward the goal line.”
Among the family members who met with Netanyahu was Ruby Chen, father of Itai Chen, a dual US-Israeli citizen and soldier whose body is being held in Gaza. While acknowledging Netanyahu’s statement about ripening conditions, Chen remained cautious, telling Israeli Army Radio, “I’m taking that with a pinch of salt.”
Chen expressed hope that Biden, who has withdrawn his bid for reelection and endorsed Vice President Kamala Harris as the Democratic candidate in the November vote, would apply more pressure on Netanyahu to secure the deal.
According to Israeli tallies, Islamist militant group Hamas launched an attack on Israel on October 7, resulting in the deaths of 1,200 people and the capture of around 250 hostages. Hamas and other militants continue to hold 120 hostages, with approximately one-third of them declared dead in absentia by Israeli authorities.
Gaza health authorities in the Hamas-run enclave report that the death toll among Palestinians in Israel’s retaliatory offensive has surpassed 39,000.
In November, a week-long truce resulted in the release of more than 105 hostages in exchange for 240 Palestinian prisoners.
During his visit to Washington, where he is scheduled to address Congress and expected to meet with US President Joe Biden, Netanyahu told the families, “The conditions are undoubtedly ripening.This is a good sign.”
The past month has seen significant progress in efforts to reach a Gaza ceasefire deal, which was outlined by Biden in May and mediated by Egypt and Qatar. US secretary of state Anthony Blinken expressed optimism on Friday, saying that negotiators were “driving toward the goal line.”
Among the family members who met with Netanyahu was Ruby Chen, father of Itai Chen, a dual US-Israeli citizen and soldier whose body is being held in Gaza. While acknowledging Netanyahu’s statement about ripening conditions, Chen remained cautious, telling Israeli Army Radio, “I’m taking that with a pinch of salt.”
Chen expressed hope that Biden, who has withdrawn his bid for reelection and endorsed Vice President Kamala Harris as the Democratic candidate in the November vote, would apply more pressure on Netanyahu to secure the deal.
According to Israeli tallies, Islamist militant group Hamas launched an attack on Israel on October 7, resulting in the deaths of 1,200 people and the capture of around 250 hostages. Hamas and other militants continue to hold 120 hostages, with approximately one-third of them declared dead in absentia by Israeli authorities.
Gaza health authorities in the Hamas-run enclave report that the death toll among Palestinians in Israel’s retaliatory offensive has surpassed 39,000.
In November, a week-long truce resulted in the release of more than 105 hostages in exchange for 240 Palestinian prisoners.
