Israeli Channel 12 revealed on Monday that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu confirmed his government's serious efforts to conclude a prisoner exchange deal with Hamas, saying, "We are actively seeking to complete the deal, and I want US President Donald Trump to exert strong pressure on Qatar to advance the negotiations."
The channel added that the Security Cabinet decided, in its last meeting, to temporarily freeze any further escalation steps in the Gaza Strip, pending developments in the negotiations regarding the exchange deal.
In the same context, Israeli Army Radio quoted informed sources as saying that Netanyahu may visit Washington early next week, amid the intense political activity surrounding the deal.
Meanwhile, the Israeli Chief of Staff warned, according to Channel 12, that further expanding the ground operation in Gaza could endanger the lives of the detainees. This is a reference to growing concerns within the security establishment that military operations could derail negotiation efforts or cause casualties among the detainees.
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Netanyahu seeks to conclude a swap deal and wants Trump to exert strong pressure.