Tuesday night, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s Office released a statement saying: “In light of some progress in the negotiations, Prime Minister Netanyahu, this evening, convened a discussion with the participation of the Defense Minister, Minister Dermer, the IDF Chief-of-Staff, and members of the negotiating team, in order to receive updates on the framework for the release of our hostages and to discuss future steps.”
The political-security cabinet is scheduled to convene Thursday evening to discuss the ongoing negotiations for a hostage-return deal. The prime minister addressed the issue in a video posted to social media, describing the developments as “significant progress.”
“There is significant progress,” Netanyahu said. “It’s too early to raise expectations, but we are working around the clock. I hope we can continue moving forward.”
נתניהו על המגעים לשחרור חטופים: יש התקדמות משמעותית. אני חושב שמוקדם מדי לתת תקוות@SuleimanMas1 @gilicohen10 pic.twitter.com/xH1FPSJSBu
— כאן חדשות (@kann_news) June 10, 2025
Other Israeli officials, however, struck a more cautious tone, emphasizing that while talks are ongoing, the outcome remains uncertain.
As a result, Netanyahu is intensifying pressure on the Haredi parties to refrain from supporting a bill to dissolve the Knesset.
On Monday, six private bills calling for the dissolution of the 25th Knesset were submitted to the Knesset Secretariat. Each bill was introduced by a different opposition faction, and all are expected to be brought for debate during Wednesday’s plenary session.
Netanyahu’s pressure to prevent new elections is being applied on multiple fronts—one of which is invoking the Iranian threat. He is telling Haredi leaders that this is a “historic moment” that demands unity in confronting the Islamic Republic. His message comes amid a series of high-level consultations on the matter and ongoing talks with President Donald Trump aimed at increasing pressure on Iran.
On the ground in Gaza, the IDF is applying sustained military pressure, while civilian pressure is being reinforced through the opening of IDF-protected food distribution points by the GHF fund. This effort significantly undermines Hamas’s ability to control the flow of humanitarian aid into the Strip. According to Israeli sources, these combined measures may create conditions for a shift in the situation.
However, Israel is not likely to agree to end the war as long as Hamas remains in control of Gaza. If the current level of military pressure is maintained, estimates suggest the campaign could continue for several more months.
The PM understands that without delivering the total victory he promised the public, and without a significant development on the Iranian front, it would be extremely difficult for the coalition parties, Likud, and the broader right-wing bloc to succeed in the next elections if those were held this year.
QATAR, HAMAS, AND ALL THAT JAZZ
The central sticking point in the negotiations between Israel and Hamas remains Hamas’s demand for a commitment to end the war, backed by U.S. or international guarantees. In recent weeks, not only Trump’s envoy Steve Witkoff but also “American-Palestinian” mediator Bishara Bahbah have been involved in the talks on behalf of the United States.
Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar stated that “Israel is serious about reaching a deal on the hostages. There has been some progress recently. Based on past experience, I prefer not to overstate it at this stage. However, we are committed to reaching an agreement that includes a ceasefire. Our goal remains to bring all of our hostages home—both the living and the fallen.”
According to a report by Kan11 News on Tuesday night, the United States, Qatar, and other mediators are engaged in advanced negotiations to find a compromise on the wording of guarantees for ending the war as part of a potential deal between Israel and Hamas.
A source involved in the talks said the current focus is primarily on negotiations between Qatar and Hamas, in an effort to bridge the gap between the two sides’ positions. Should a compromise proposal emerge and gain U.S. approval, it is expected that Israel would also find it acceptable.
A foreign diplomat familiar with the negotiations noted that while there has been progress, a breakthrough is not imminent. “There is some movement,” the source said, “but everything depends on the willingness of both Hamas and Israel to compromise on the language.”
Despite these developments, Hamas sources denied any significant progress. According to them, it is the United States and Qatar who are driving the process and projecting optimism.
Meanwhile, senior Hamas official Mahmoud Mardawi posted a statement on his Telegram channel, accusing Prime Minister Netanyahu of deception. “Netanyahu continues to lie,” he wrote, “and all his statements are an illusion aimed at misleading the Israeli public and preventing a genuine agreement that would end the war.”
ARMING MILITIAS IN GAZA
Last Thursday, Israel Beiteinu Chairman MK Avigdor Liberman exposed classified information from a closed session of the Knesset Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee, stating that Israel was supplying weapons to militias in the Gaza Strip affiliated with ISIS, under orders from Prime Minister Netanyahu. In an interview with Channel 2, Liberman claimed that the Israeli government was “providing arms to a group of criminals and offenders who identify with ISIS.”
The Prime Minister’s Office did not issue a denial, stating instead: “Israel is working to defeat Hamas through various means, based on the recommendations of all senior security officials.”
Once the secret was out, Israeli media reported that the militias, which had been involved in several bloody clashes with Hamas terrorists, were affiliated with the Palestinian Authority and not with ISIS. On Tuesday night Minister Bezalel Smotrich told Channel 14’s “Patriots” panel that he was opposed to giving guns to Arabs, regardless of their current affiliation, seeing as those guns always end up killing Jews, God forbid.
Yasser Abu Shabab, a resident of Rafah on the Egyptian border, was recently identified as the leader of an armed militia in southern Gaza. He released a video declaring that he operates “under Palestinian legitimacy,” referring to the Palestinian Authority. In the video, Abu Shabab announced the formation of a new armed force aimed at protecting civilians from what he called “the terrorism of the de facto Hamas government” and “aid robbers.”
العميل ياسر ابو شباب يحمل الجنسية المصرية ولا يحمل الجنسية الفلسطينية وهو من بدو سيناء من قبيلة الترابين المعروفة في تواجدها في سيناء وغزة والأراضي المحتلة والأردن، حيث أعلنت عائلته البراءة التامة منه , ولذلك نطالب الجهات المصرية بالتدخل الفوري لسحب هذا الجاسوس . pic.twitter.com/zKqNUIYubj
— غزة الآن – Gaza Now (@nowgnna) June 9, 2025
Abu Shabab stated that his group is distributing food and humanitarian aid to hundreds of families, including those in areas controlled by the IDF. According to him, these actions are taken “not out of choice, but out of necessity—to prevent the expulsion plan.”
The “expulsion plan” is President Trump’s voluntary migration program which he announced at the White House while PM Netanyahu was in the room, listening with unhidden joy.
The Abu Shabab video shows militiamen setting up tents and handing out supplies while urging the media to document their efforts. PA Arab sources recently linked Abu Shabab to cooperation with Israel and the American aid organization GHF operating in Gaza.
