Netanyahu to hold late-night meeting on potential Gaza prisoner exchange deal

Israeli Occupation Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is set to hold a meeting tonight to discuss details of a potential prisoner exchange deal, 'Israeli' broadcaster Kan reported on Saturday.

According to Channel 12, Netanyahu has summoned National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir and Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich to participate in the meeting, which will address issues related to a captive exchange deal in the Gaza Strip.

Earlier, an 'Israeli' official claimed that Hamas is holding onto positions that prevent mediators from making progress toward an agreement, complicating ongoing negotiations.

The 'Israeli' official added that the current talks, whether with Qatari mediators or others, are facing difficulties finding common ground due to Hamas’s hardline stances.

In a related development, Channel 12 reported that Tel Aviv is expected to present new maps defining the scope of withdrawal from Gaza, including control over the Morag axis, seen as an attempt to expand the negotiating space.

Channel 12 quoted a foreign informed source saying that the Israeli Occupation will hand over the new maps in response to a request from Qatari mediators who have been involved in the talks, noting that previous maps were unacceptable to Hamas and could have caused the negotiations to collapse entirely.