Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Saturday (October 4), Israel is on the verge of a 'very significant achievement' and he hopes to announce the return of the hostages held by Hamas soon.

Although negotiations are not final yet, Netanyahu said in a video statement that he was hopeful that he'll announce the return of all the hostages, both the living and the fallen.

With the negotiations team set to leave for Cairo, Netanyahu said he instructed them to make the process as short as possible as U.S. President Trump "will not tolerate stalling tactics, delays, or evasions by Hamas".

He added that the Israeli army will hold all the areas that 'control the depth' of the Gaza Strip and that in the second phase, 'Hamas will be disarmed and the Gaza Strip will be demilitarised'.

Hamas had said that it was ready to hand over hostages and accept some terms of Trump's plan to end the conflict while calling for more talks on several key issues was greeted with relief in the enclave, where most homes are now in ruins.

DESCRIPCIÓN DE IMÁGENES

UNKNOWN (OCTOBER 4, 2025) (GPO - Access all)

1. (SOUNDBITE) (Hebrew) ISRAELI PRIME MINISTER BENJAMIN NETANYAHU, SAYING:

"We are on the verge of a very significant achievement. It’s not final yet — we are working on it diligently, and I hope, God willing, that in the coming days, even during the Sukkot holiday, I will be able to announce the return of all our hostages, both the living and the fallen, in one phase, with the IDF remaining in the depth of the Strip and in the areas that control it."

2. WHITE FLASH

3. (SOUNDBITE)(Hebrew) ISRAELI PRIME MINISTER BENJAMIN NETANYAHU, SAYING:

"Throughout the war, there were also those who constantly claimed that we would not be able to bring back all the hostages without a full and complete withdrawal from the Gaza Strip. I believed otherwise — and acted otherwise. Thanks to the determined decisions I led together with the government, and thanks to the heroism of our fighters who pressured Hamas, we have so far returned 207 of our hostages. But I have never given up on the remaining hostages. I have also never given up on achieving the other goals of the war."

4. WHITE FLASH

5. (SOUNDBITE)(Hebrew) ISRAELI PRIME MINISTER BENJAMIN NETANYAHU, SAYING:

"In the first stage, Hamas will release all our hostages, and IDF forces will be redeployed in a way that the IDF continues to hold all the areas that control the depth of the Strip. I hear that there are those who say today that Hamas was already willing a year ago, or even two years ago, to release all our hostages without us withdrawing fully from the Strip. Well, I tell you — that is simply a lie."

6. WHITE FLASH

7. (SOUNDBITE)(Hebrew) ISRAELI PRIME MINISTER BENJAMIN NETANYAHU, SAYING:

"Now, in the second phase, Hamas will be disarmed and the Gaza Strip will be demilitarised. This will happen either through diplomatic means, according to the Trump plan, or militarily, by us. I said this in Washington as well."

8. WHITE FLASH

9. (SOUNDBITE)(Hebrew) ISRAELI PRIME MINISTER BENJAMIN NETANYAHU, SAYING:

"To bring back our remaining 48 hostages, I instructed the IDF a few weeks ago to enter Hamas’s most important stronghold — Gaza City. At the same time, I coordinated with President Trump and his team a diplomatic move that turned the tables in an instant. Instead of Israel being isolated, Hamas is isolated. And as a result of the intensified military pressure we applied, and the diplomatic pressure, Hamas was forced to agree to the plan we brought."

10. WHITE FLASH

11. (SOUNDBITE)(Hebrew) ISRAELI PRIME MINISTER BENJAMIN NETANYAHU, SAYING:

"I instructed the negotiation team, led by Minister Dermer, to go to Cairo to finalize the technical details of the release of our hostages. Our intention and the intention of our American friends — is to limit this negotiation to just a few days. And you heard President Trump this evening, he said clearly: we will not tolerate stalling tactics, delays, or evasions by Hamas."