Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu recently spoke with U.S. President Donald Trump and delivered a clear message regarding the negotiations for the release of the hostages.
Netanyahu emphasized that Israel must not rely on proposals from Hamas or from intermediary parties, warning that they are deceptive and do not represent a genuine willingness to fulfill commitments.
“They will come to you with all sorts of proposals — do not accept them,” Netanyahu told Trump, adding: “Hamas is pretending, but has no real intention of returning all the hostages.”
Standing Firm Against Hamas
The conversation took place shortly before Trump’s scheduled meeting in Washington with Qatar’s Prime Minister, Mohammed Al-Thani. Although no official statement was released by either side, quotes published by Channel 12 News indicate that Netanyahu made clear to Trump: the proposals are not credible, and the Israeli public is not willing to accept a situation where Hamas continues to operate near Israel’s borders — even if public opinion polls show a desire for a deal that would end the fighting.
During the conversation, Netanyahu stressed that Israel would not agree to leave Hamas as an active and threatening force along its borders. The Prime Minister stated that leaving Hamas in Gaza without a decisive defeat would pose a severe security threat and could lead to events similar to the October 7 massacre.
“We must destroy Hamas. We will not accept a situation where it remains close to our border. That would be a recipe for another tragedy like October 7,” he said.
The Cabinet Decides: Exhaust Negotiations Then Escalate the Fighting
Against the backdrop of the conversation, the Security Cabinet convened for a strategic discussion, during which several ministers called to set a close deadline for concluding the negotiations with Hamas. If no agreement for the release of the hostages is reached soon, Israel will move to a more significant stage of fighting in Gaza, including the emergency call-up of thousands of soldiers and the takeover of additional areas.
However, officials involved in the negotiations noted that there is still a chance of reaching an agreement, and therefore it was decided to allow a few more weeks for the talks before launching harsher military actions.
Trump Expresses Optimism About Iran Through Diplomatic Channels
During the night (between Sunday and Monday), President Trump also discussed the Iranian issue, expressing optimism about the future.
He indicated that he believes a deal with Iran could be reached without the need for military confrontation, preferring diplomatic efforts over direct military action at this stage.
