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Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Sunday “there could be” a deal for a prisoner release by Hamas, but no deal so far has been reached and Israel’s military intends to proceed with its ground operation in Gaza.
“I think the less I say about it, the more I’m increasing the chances that it materializes,” Mr. Netanyahu told NBC’s “Meet the Press.”
His comments follow reports that international mediators, including the U.S. and Israeli intelligence chiefs, have been working behind the scenes toward a limited cease-fire agreement in Gaza so a prisoner release or exchange could occur.
CIA Director William Burns and Mossad Director David Barnea discussed the situation last week with the prime minister of Qatar — the Persian Gulf nation playing host to Hamas’ political leadership.
The possibility of a pause in fighting between Israel and the Palestinian militant group was part of the discussion with Qatari Sheikh Mohammed Bin Abdulrahman al-Thani, sources familiar with the meeting told Reuters, although the outcome of the discussion was unclear.
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At the same time, President Biden expressed pessimism Thursday about the chances of a three-day humanitarian cease-fire in Gaza, telling reporters such a pact was unlikely.
“None. No possibility,” Mr. Biden said when asked about a cease-fire.
Other world leaders, including French President Emmanuel Macron, have called for a cease-fire. While the Biden administration has rejected those calls, the White House has raised the possibility of a “tactical pause” to the fighting in Gaza.
The administration has argued that a pause could provide Palestinian civilians with opportunities to flee to safety from areas where the fighting has intensified, ensure humanitarian assistance is reaching civilians and enable the release of hostages.
White House national security spokesperson John Kirby said last week the administration would want a humanitarian pause “as soon as possible.”
Mr. Netanyahu said Sunday that the only reason Hamas may be willing to reach a prisoner swap deal with Israel is because of “military pressure.”
SEE ALSO: Trump says Israel-Hamas war needs to ‘play out’
“The extraordinary work that the [Israeli Defense Forces are] doing, putting pressure on the Hamas leadership, that’s the one thing that might create a deal,” he told “Meet the Press.”
“If a deal is available, well, we’ll talk about it when it’s there,” he said. “We’ll announce it if it’s achieved.”
Israeli officials say Hamas terrorists took 242 Israelis and others hostage during the militant group’s Oct. 7 assault on southern Israel. Discussions toward a potential prisoner exchange have reportedly featured the possibility that Israel may release Hamas operatives it has in custody, although analysts close to the Israeli government say such a scenario is unlikely.
There have also been reports of a potential deal in which a small amount of fuel would be allowed to enter Gaza for the first time since the Israel-Hamas war began last month. In exchange, mediators are asking for Hamas to release 12 hostages, who are believed to include six Americans, a source close to the Palestinian militant group told Agence France-Presse last week.
Mr. Netanyahu spoke Sunday as heavy combat continued between Israeli forces and Hamas fighters near the Al-Shifa Hospital complex in Gaza, the besieged territory’s largest hospital.
A humanitarian crisis has befallen Al-Shifa in recent days, with the complex and its life-support systems losing electricity while patients and staff remain trapped inside.
Israeli forces have surrounded the complex, saying that Hamas fighters are using it as a base of operations. There are also reports that Israel believes Hamas may be holding dozens of hostages within the complex and that Israeli forces are intent on being directly involved in evacuating patients and personnel from the hospital.
Mr. Netanyahu told CNN’s “State of the Union” on Sunday that there is “no reason” Israel can’t take patients out of Al-Shifa, saying Israeli forces are already helping patients by establishing safe corridors amid fighting on the ground.
“We have designated routes to a safe zone south of Gaza City,” the prime minister said. “We want all civilians to be moved out of harm’s way.”
He asserted that Hamas is “doing everything in its power to keep them in harm’s way.”
Biden administration officials have expressed concern about the humanitarian crisis in Gaza, with Secretary of State Antony Blinken asserting that more needs to be done to protect Palestinian civilians.
On CNN Sunday, Mr. Netanyahu questioned what the United States would do in the same situation, asserting that Hamas’ hostage-taking would be comparable to a dynamic in which thousands of Americans were taken hostage.
How would Washington respond if “50,000 Americans” had been killed and with “10,000 Americans held [as] hostages, including babies, women and children?” Mr. Netanyahu said.
“It would take all its force and go after these killers,” he said. “And what if these killers embed themselves in hospitals and schools?”
Rejecting Palestinian Authority
The Israeli prime minister separately appeared to rule out giving control to the Palestinian Authority in post-war Gaza, asserting that Israel’s goal is to destroy Hamas.
When asked about Israel’s post-war plans for the territory, Mr. Netanyahu told CNN the PA, which has a government in the West Bank territory, has failed to “demilitarize” and “deradicalize” Gaza in the past.
In the long-term in Gaza, there needs to be “an overriding Israeli military envelope,” to prevent a resurgence of Hamas militancy, Mr. Netanyahu said.
His comments clash with statements in recent days by the Biden administration, as well as several Arab and European governments, who have all spent recent days promoting the possibility of PA control over Gaza once the Israeli military operation ends.
• Jeff Mordock contributed to this report.
• Guy Taylor can be reached at gtaylor@washingtontimes.com.
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