Israeli officials: Netanyahu is desperate to reach a swap deal "at any price."

Israeli newspaper Yedioth Ahronoth quoted senior officials in the Israeli security cabinet on Thursday as saying that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu "is very keen and determined to reach a deal, at any price," and that he sees the political window of opportunity as scarce.

According to the officials, Netanyahu believes that what is possible today may not be possible in a few months. They added, "Against the backdrop of recent achievements in the war, the upcoming elections, and the push from the Trump administration, there appears to be a shift in Netanyahu's position."

According to officials who have spoken with Netanyahu in recent days, he is in the midst of an election campaign and appears confident that he will achieve a "major accomplishment" for Likud.

The newspaper explained: "However, there are also those who do not rule out the possibility that Netanyahu may decide to retire after reaching an agreement with Saudi Arabia, returning the prisoners, and ending the war in Gaza."

In a related development, the Turkish Anadolu Agency quoted informed Palestinian sources on Thursday as saying that Hamas is moving toward agreeing to the proposed prisoner exchange and ceasefire in Gaza, but has not yet made a final decision. It is currently consulting with various Palestinian factions and forces before submitting its official response to the mediators.

The sources, who preferred to remain anonymous, explained that the United States, Egypt, and Qatar had provided "broad guarantees" to implement the agreement (which they did not specify), noting that Türkiye may be included on the list of guarantor countries of the agreement.

The sources noted that "discussions are still ongoing regarding a number of technical details," including "mechanisms for delivering humanitarian aid, withdrawal maps, and arrangements for the post-60-day truce period" in case this period is not sufficient to reach a comprehensive and final agreement, in addition to other details.

According to the sources, Hamas will submit its official response within the next two days at most.

On Wednesday, the Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas) announced that it was holding national consultations on new proposals for a ceasefire in Gaza presented to it by mediators.

The movement explained in a press statement: "Our mediator brothers are making intensive efforts to bridge the gap between the parties, reach a framework agreement, and begin a serious round of negotiations."

She continued, "We are acting with a high sense of responsibility and are conducting national consultations to discuss the proposals we have received from our mediating brothers, with the aim of reaching an agreement that guarantees an end to the aggression, the realization of withdrawal, and the urgent provision of relief to our people in the Gaza Strip."

US President Donald Trump said last Tuesday in a post on his Truth Social platform that Israel had agreed to the terms necessary for a 60-day ceasefire in Gaza, indicating that Qatari and Egyptian mediators would present a final proposal. He added, "I hope Hamas accepts this agreement because it will not improve, it will get worse."