
A Hamas official on Monday told Asharq Al-Awsat that a prisoner swap-ceasefire agreement between Israel and the Hamas terror group is "closer than ever," so long as Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu does not disrupt things.
According to him, the Hamas terror group and additional terror factions have shown "great flexibility" in agreeing to a gradual cessation of the war and the IDF's withdrawal according to an agreed-upon schedule. He called on the US administration to pressure Israel to complete the process.
A source familiar with the details of the negotiations said that US President-elect Donald Trump and his incoming administration are interested in achieving a deal as quickly as possible, even before the end of December.
According to the source, "The [Arab] factions are interested, but the main problem is in Israel's position."
Earlier, Al-Akhbar reported that although the negotiations for a prisoner swap-ceasefire deal are progressing slowly, there is "unprecedented willingness" on both sides to reach a deal.
According to the report, Trump's chosen emissary for negotiations on hostages, Adam Boehler, is expected to visit Israel this week.
A Channel 13 report said that Hamas is insisting on releasing a smaller number of hostages than Israel demands. Israel, the report said, is willing to compromise on many things, including the length of the proposed ceasefire, "but not on the number of hostages to be released."