Live | Netanyahu: Possibly within a few days deal about hostages

The Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says to hope that within a few days there will be an agreement on the release of ten Israeli hostages from the Gaza Strip. He said that on Thursday in an interview with the American channel Newsmax, at the end of his three -day visit to Washington.

According to Netanyahu, fifty Israelis are held by Hamas, twenty of whom are still alive, according to Israel. “We now have a deal that would include the release of half of the living and half of the dead hostages,” said Netanyahu.

The release would be part of a cease-fire of sixty days that are currently being negotiated. Netanyahu said to hope that the agreement about this can be completed “within a few days”. The Israeli Prime Minister emphasized that he eventually wants to retrieve all hostages, including the deceased.

Netanyahu also announced on Thursday that conversations would start at the start of the temporary file about a permanent termination of the war. “But that is only possible on the basis of our minimum conditions,” he said. These include, among other things, that Hamas resigns, Gaza is demilitarized and Hamas no longer has administrative or military power. “If that does not work through negotiations, then we will achieve it in other ways,” says Netanyahu.