Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has told relatives of hostages kidnapped by Hamas that a deal to end the war and release their family members could be reached within hours.
The meeting, reported by Israeli media Tuesday, came as officials from the United States said they were close to reaching an agreement before President-elect Donald Trump, who vowed there will be "hell to pay" if the hostages are not released, takes office next Monday, The Times in London reported.
Hamas reportedly agreed Wednesday morning to proceed with a deal to release the hostages, Israeli officials said.
The Jerusalem Post reported that attempts to reach a final deal could come by Wednesday night or Thursday morning.
"We are super close," a source told the publication.
The hostages, in October 2023 during the Hamas attack on Israel, include some Americans. More than 1,100 Israelis were slaughtered during the attack.
More than 200 people were kidnapped during the Oct. 7 attack, with dozens released under a previous deal.
Israel believes that of the 100 hostages remaining in Gaza, more than one-third have been killed.
Under the agreement, Israel would release dozens of Palestinian prisoners in exchange for each hostage, including people being held under life sentences for carrying out attacks.
According to the Hamas-run health ministry, the war that ensued in Gaza has killed more than 46,000 Palestinians while destroying a great deal of the territory.
A deal to end the war has eluded outgoing President Joe Biden's administration, and Israeli media reported a breakthrough in negotiations came after Netanyahu and Trump Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff held a meeting described as "tense."
Vice President-elect J.D. Vance said Hamas is feeling pressure after Trump's threats.
"It's very clear that President Trump threatening Hamas and making it clear that there is going to be hell to pay is part of the reason why we've made progress on getting some hostages out," Vance said in an interview this past weekend.
Secretary of State Antony Blinken said Tuesday that mediators are waiting for Hamas to respond to a final draft for an agreement.
"It's right on the brink," Blinken said. "It's closer than it's ever been before. But, right now, as we sit here, we await the final word from Hamas on its acceptance."
Qatari officials also said the negotiations are in the "final stages," but Foreign Ministry spokesman Majed al-Ansari cautioned about being "overexcited" until an announcement is made.
There are not many changes in the agreement from a proposal the United States made last year, which called for a phased withdrawal from Israel while the hostages that remain in custody are released.
However, Netanyahu cabined hardliners are speaking out against the deal.
National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir has threatened to resign if the agreement is reached, calling the deal "truly catastrophic."
"Over the past year, through our political power, we have managed to block this deal from being executed time and again," he wrote on the social media platform Telegram. "However, new elements have since joined the government and now support the deal, leaving us no longer a decisive force."
The agreement under discussion says fighting will stop for 42 days while Israel withdraws its troops and Hamas releases surviving hostages who are children, female, or elderly, with men being released later.
Hamas, meanwhile, has backed down on demands that Israel fully withdraw from Gaza and that it commit to stopping the war.
Now, Israel would pull its troops back to a border area buffer zone but maintain a presence along the border between Egypt and Gaza.
The negotiations for a second withdrawal phase, with Israel pulling out entirely from Gaza and Hamas releasing remaining hostages, would start two weeks after the ceasefire begins.
Sandy Fitzgerald ✉
Sandy Fitzgerald has more than three decades in journalism and serves as a general assignment writer for Newsmax covering news, media, and politics.
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