Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu expressed confidence that a deal could soon be reached to free hostages held in Gaza, during an interview broadcast Saturday evening on Fox News.
Speaking with host Mark Levin, Netanyahu revealed that he had coordinated closely with former U.S. President Donald Trump during his recent trip to Washington, D.C., focusing on a potential agreement to secure the release of roughly half the hostages — both living and deceased — in return for a proposed 60-day ceasefire.
“I want to save as many as possible,” Netanyahu said, emphasizing that such a deal could also create an opportunity to deliver humanitarian aid to Gaza’s civilians — aid he claims Hamas has repeatedly diverted for its own use.
“They steal it, inflate the prices, and use the profits to recruit teenagers — 14- and 15-year-olds — into their terror ranks,” he said. “I hope that dynamic changes. We’re working on it, and I believe we’ll ultimately achieve our goals: securing the safe return of all our hostages and eliminating Hamas.”
Netanyahu underscored that the continuation of the war hinges on the hostage issue, adding that Israeli forces have been making concerted efforts to avoid harming those still in captivity.
Despite mounting international pressure for a ceasefire, the prime minister reiterated his long-standing position: Israel will not end its campaign in Gaza until Hamas is fully dismantled, even if that delays a comprehensive hostage release.
In the interview, he described Gaza as “the last stronghold for Iran in our neighborhood,” after Hezbollah was seriously weakened in Lebanon during its war with Israel last year — which the Iran-backed terror group instigated with cross-border attacks a day after Hamas’s October 7, 2023 massacre — and the fall of Bashar al-Assad’s regime in Syria.
Negotiations in Doha aimed at securing a 60-day truce between Israel and Hamas, along with the return of 18 hostages — 10 alive and 8 deceased — are reportedly teetering on the brink of collapse.
According to sources cited by The Times of Israel, the talks have stalled primarily due to disagreements over the redeployment and partial withdrawal of Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) during the proposed ceasefire. While Israel has shown some flexibility and presented updated maps outlining a revised troop pullback plan, Hamas has deemed the adjustments insufficient.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who was in Washington last week, pre-recorded a series of interviews with U.S. media, including an appearance on Fox News, during which he expressed optimism that a hostage deal could still be achieved. However, he did not give any interviews to the traveling Israeli press during his visit.
In his interview with Fox News’ Mark Levin, Netanyahu reiterated that the ongoing war in Gaza is driven by the need to free the remaining hostages. He emphasized that Israeli forces are operating with caution to avoid harming those still in captivity and remained firm on his broader war goals: “I believe we’ll achieve the release and safe return of all our hostages and the destruction of Hamas.”
Netanyahu also touched on Iran, claiming the regime in Tehran is “in deep trouble,” following recent tensions with Israel, including the brief 12-day military confrontation. He voiced support for a potential future deal with Iran, but only under stringent conditions.
“I would support an exceptional deal: no uranium enrichment, as President Trump and I have said; no ballistic missiles that can reach your shores or exceed 300 miles, which is the limit under international treaties; and no terror axis,” Netanyahu stated.
“Give me these three — it’s a different regime if it agrees to it,” he said. “If it doesn’t, just keep them at bay and let things roll where they may inside Iran.”
Netanyahu said that had Israel and the US not attacked last month, “Iran could have had a nuclear weapon within a year.” Previously, Israeli officials have said Iran was potentially only a few weeks away from producing nuclear weapons.
Israel has defended its massive military offensive against Iran — launched on June 12 — as a preemptive strike aimed at halting what it called an existential threat from the Islamic Republic. The campaign came exactly 61 days after former U.S. President Donald Trump imposed a 60-day deadline for a new nuclear deal with Tehran, a deadline Iran failed to meet.
The Israeli assault, described as sweeping in scope, reportedly targeted Iran’s top military commanders, nuclear scientists, uranium enrichment facilities, and ballistic missile infrastructure. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the operation was critical to preventing Iran from realizing its declared ambition of destroying the Jewish state.
On June 22, the United States joined the military campaign, striking major Iranian nuclear sites at Natanz, Fordo, and Isfahan. The escalation concluded just two days later, on June 24, with a U.S.-brokered ceasefire.
In an interview with Fox News aired over the weekend, Netanyahu praised what he called a renewed American strength under Trump, contrasting it with prior administrations. “It’s the America that the entire free world has actually longed to see,” he remarked.
Netanyahu went further, stating that Trump is deserving of the Nobel Peace Prize, citing U.S.-facilitated efforts to end longstanding conflicts in Africa and South Asia — including peace initiatives between Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of Congo, and between India and Pakistan.
The Israeli prime minister revealed that during his visit to Washington last week, he personally recommended Trump for the prestigious award and handed him a copy of his letter to the Nobel Committee.
Netanyahu also hinted at ongoing diplomatic efforts behind the scenes, saying that Israel continues to receive outreach from regional neighbors interested in normalizing relations. While he did not name specific countries, he described the current situation as one in which quiet diplomacy is progressing, and that formal announcements will come “when the time is right.”
