A close associate of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Natan Eshel, commented on the progress in negotiations for the release of hostages in exchange for a ceasefire and warns against a deal that would not be good for Israel. According to him, Israel should not be influenced by statements from Hamas leaders or by American pressure since such pressure could lead to problematic outcomes. "Hamas is deceiving the Americans, the Americans are deceiving Israel, and Israelis (the media and the left) must not deceive Israelis," Eshel claimed. He added, "We all pray for the speedy return of all the hostages, but not, heaven forbid, in an irresponsible deal where we would both pay the price and not get all the hostages back."
