Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced on Monday that he hopes for news regarding the hostages held in Gaza in the coming week, possibly as early as Tuesday or Wednesday.
עדכון ממני אליכם מאחד הרחובות העתיקים ביותר בירושלים >> pic.twitter.com/ASDINwIccO
— Benjamin Netanyahu – בנימין נתניהו (@netanyahu) May 26, 2025
“I hope we will have news regarding the hostages today or tomorrow,” he said.
An official source told The Jerusalem Post that Netanyahu was not referring to anything specific.
Israel rejects Hamas proposal, Hamas accepts Witkoff Framework
This comes after Israel rejected a Hamas proposal for a partial deal that would see the release of five hostages.
“[The proposal is] very far away from the outline that we are willing to negotiate on,” an Israeli official told the Post.
The proposal outlined that the IDF would withdraw to its positions in Gaza from two months ago, allowing humanitarian aid into all areas of Gaza, continued talks for the release of remaining living and dead hostages, which was described as “some kind of American recognition of Hamas.”
Later on Monday, Hamas said it agreed to the Witkoff Framework for hostage release, Reuters reported.
The proposal included the release of 10 living hostages in return for a 70-day ceasefire.
In response, US Special Envoy to the Middle East Steve Witkoff rebutted Hamas’s claims.
“What I’ve heard so far from Hamas has been disappointing and completely unacceptable,” he told Walla.
“I agreed to lead these negotiations,” Witkoff said, “There is a deal on the table, and Hamas needs to accept it.”
He added that Israel had agreed to his offer for a deal that includes releasing half of the living hostages and half of the deal.
An anonymous government source told the Post that no responsible government could accept the Hamas ceasefire proposal, an anonymous Israeli official said. The official asserted that the deal Hamas created did not match the one that Witkoff had proposed.
“[The proposal is] very far away from the outline that we are willing to negotiate on,” an Israeli official told the Post.
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