Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Sunday that the Israeli negotiation team is "exploring every opportunity" for a hostage deal, "whether under the Witkoff plan or as part of ending the fighting."
According to Netanyahu, the potential agreement would include "the release of all hostages, the expulsion of Hamas militants, and the disarmament of the Gaza Strip."
Hostage release and cease-fire talks are currently taking place in Doha, Qatar, according to a source familiar with the ongoing negotiations between Israel and Hamas.
National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir responded to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's statement, saying, "A framework to end the war without defeating Hamas – will not arise and will not happen."
A source familiar with the negotiations between Israel and Hamas said they are based on a "modified Witkoff plan" and include a two-month cease-fire and the release of 10 living hostages and half of the deceased hostages in Hamas captivity at the deal's start, before entering negotiations on terms of ending the war.
An additional source said Sunday that the main focus of the discussion is on the American guarantees that Hamas is demanding to ensure that Israel will not resume fighting at the end of the cease-fire.
Netanyahu's remarks came in response to comments made by Brig. Gen. (Res.) Oren Seter, former deputy to Maj. Gen. (Res.) Nitzan Alon, head of the IDF's Missing and Captive Soldiers Division, during an interview with Reshet Bet radio earlier on Sunday.
Seter claimed that the war could have ended sooner through a hostage deal, but Netanyahu dismissed this, saying, "The claims that an earlier agreement was possible are completely unfounded." Seter added that the previous hostage release deal came about due to U.S. pressure on Israel and that the deal reached was "very similar to what had been on the table earlier."
Until now, Israel has officially insisted on the "Witkoff framework" proposed two months ago, demanding the release of about half of the hostages as a precondition for negotiations. The Security Cabinet is expected to convene this afternoon.
A source involved in the matter said on Saturday night that U.S. President Donald Trump's administration is pressuring Hamas to agree to a two-month cease-fire, during which the sides will discuss ending the war. An Israeli source said Sunday morning that the sides are discussing the American guarantees Hamas is demanding so that Israel does not renew the fighting once the cease-fire ends. A second Israeli source said that Vice President JD Vance may visit Israel to advance the deal, but the White House denied this.
Sky News Arabic reported Saturday that Hamas has agreed to release half the living hostages as well as some of the deceased hostages within the framework of a two-month cease-fire.
The report also said that Hamas demanded that Israel guarantee that several Hamas leaders and their families safe exit from Gaza, along with U.S. guarantees that Israel would not harm them after their exit.
It also reported that Hamas demanded the entry of humanitarian aid into the Gaza Strip without conditions from Israel, as well as American guarantees to begin negotiations to end the war during the temporary cease-fire.
Following the start of a new round of negotiations in Qatar, a senior Hamas official told Qatari newspaper Al-Araby Al-Jadeed that the current proposal under discussion includes a partial deal involving a cease-fire lasting more than two months, during which talks will be held toward a comprehensive agreement to end the war.
The source added that Hamas received more serious international guarantees this time and that the United States has shown a clear willingness to act to implement the agreement.
A senior Hamas official told Al Jazeera that Hamas agreed to participate in the current round of talks without preconditions, but also claimed that "the stage of partial deals is over."
Until recently, Israel has officially insisted that negotiations be based on the "Witkoff plan," which includes the release of roughly half of the hostages as a precondition for negotiations.
Hamas sources told Al-Araby that Israel's insistence on retrieving hostages without committing to a cease-fire will lead nowhere.