Netanyahu says he hopes to announce the hostages in the “coming days”

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said he hopes to announce the release of the hostages in Gaza “in the coming days.”

In a televised statement, he also said, “Hamas will be removed and the weapon will be removed Gaza – either in an easy way or in the difficult way, but it will be achieved.”

The comments came after Hamas issued a statement on Friday that agreed to liberate the hostages under an American peace plan, but it did not mention disarmament and request negotiations on other issues.

Hamas said on Saturday that Israel continues to commit “massacres”, after it hit Gaza in the morning, and urged global pressure on Israel.

The indirect ceasefire talks are scheduled to start between the two parties on Monday.

US President Donald Trump said he “will not tolerate the delay” from Hamas to complete the deal.

In a post on the social truth platform, Trump said: “Hamas should move quickly, otherwise all bets will be suspended … Let’s accomplish this quickly.”

He later published that Israel “agreed to the initial drawing line”, and it seems that it refers to various lines of the withdrawal of the Israeli forces published along with the American plan.

The plan of 20 points is proposed immediately to fight and launch 20 alive Israeli hostages that Hamas maintains – as well as the remains of those who believe they are dead – compared to hundreds of invaders of the detainees.

In a post on X, the Israeli Defense Forces said it had issued an order “to prepare for the implementation of the first phase of Trump’s hostage plan.” He added that the integrity of the Israeli Defense Forces was “a top priority.”

Hamas has been pressured at least some of the Trump plan points. This is exactly what they did, with the response “Yes but”. The group agreed to release all the remaining Israeli hostages, both neighborhoods and death, and that Gaza will be governed by technocrats.

However, among other things, the group did not mention whether it would disarm it – a major Israeli request.

In both Gaza and Israel, there was cautious optimism that current efforts could finally lead to a deal. One of the main differences now is Trump’s personal participation, keen to remember it – and reward it – as a man who ended the war.

Hamas has urged to accept a deal and threaten more military power, and there were indications of his increasing irritation with the leadership of Israel recently. But it is not clear whether Trump’s effect will be enough.

The truth is that the obstacles that prevented previous deals remain the same, including Hamas’s request for full Israeli withdrawal and ensuring that Israel will not resume the war after the release of the hostages. The group knows that it will be weak without hostage and will undoubtedly ask for strong assurances that this will not happen.

There are doubts elsewhere as well. Many, inside and outside Israel, accused Netanyahu of sabotaging previous efforts to prolong the war for political purposes.

It is supported by the advanced ministers who threatened to end the coalition if the war ends without defeating the full enthusiasm. This can lead to the collapse of the government. At the present time, the Prime Minister appears to be safe.

However, opinion polls have constantly suggested that most Israelis prefer a deal with Hamas to issue hostages and the end of the war. The country is still divided deeply, exhausted from war and is increasingly isolated internationally.

There is a big momentum of a deal, but this is not a guarantee that one of them will be reached.

BBC hostages told them that they hoped to return their loved ones soon.

“The fear of a mistake will happen,” said Vicky Cohen, whose son Nimrod was among 20 prisoners in Gaza who still believed to be alive, said that she woke up on Saturday with a feeling of expectation, but also “fear that something wrong will happen.”

She said: “It is a fragile situation and we do not want to be disappointed again. However, I feel the hope to see soon, and I can embrace (for him) again.”

Reactions to the proposals between the Palestinians in Gaza ranged from hope to deep doubt.

Some Hamas is afraid of a trap, and that Israel will only recover its hostages to resume the war. Others believe that a historical opportunity has been opened to end two years of conflict.

“Do not be optimistic,” Ibrahim Fares, a Gaza resident, told the BBC. “There will be tours of conversations about details. Satan is always in detail.”

Meanwhile, Israeli military strikes continued to hit Gaza, although Trump tells Israel in a message on social media on Friday to “stop the bombing immediately.”

Three air strikes struck Gaza City on Saturday, one of which killed one person and became many others, according to medical sources at the Shiva Hospital.

The Hamas -running Ministry of Health in Gaza said that 66 people were killed by Israeli military operations in Gaza during the past 24 hours, and thus, as the war began 67,074.

International journalists have been prevented by Israel from entering the Gaza Strip independently since the beginning of the war, nearly two years ago, making the requests to verify both sides are difficult.

The Israeli army launched a campaign in Gaza in response to the Hamas -led attack on southern Israel on October 7, 2023, where about 1,200 people were killed and 251 others took hostage.

Most of the Gaza population has been repeatedly displaced, and more than 90 % of homes have been damaged or destroyed.