Israeli Defense Minister Yisrael Katz stated on Monday that 'Israel' is closer than ever to reaching a prisoner swap deal with Hamas.

In his remarks, Katz confirmed that “the potential exchange deal is expected to gain majority support in Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's government.” A Hamas official noted “unprecedented progress in the negotiations regarding the Gaza ceasefire and prisoner release.

However, the final decision rests with Netanyahu,” as reported by the Israeli news site Ynet.

“Despite the progress, disagreements remain over the number of prisoners to be released as part of the deal,” the official revealed, noting that “both sides have yet to agree on which prisoners will be freed.” This issue has seen multiple rounds of mediation over the months, involving Qatar, Egypt, and the United States, raising hopes for an agreement to end the conflict in the Gaza Strip.

However, these hopes have since faded.

The occupation's insistence on maintaining a military presence in the enclave has been a major obstacle to the mediators' efforts and has impeded the progress of talks.

As of now, approximately 100 Israeli prisoners remain held in Gaza since October 7, 2023, with Israeli estimates suggesting that half of them have perished.

Meanwhile, thousands of Palestinians have been held in Zionist prisons for years.