As the escalation and fighting continue in the Gaza Strip, on Sunday, the newspaper "Yediot Ahronot" reported from Israeli sources that talks for a prisoner exchange between Hamas and Tel Aviv have not made any progress so far. The report added that Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar is uninterested in the deal as he has no incentive to finalize it, according to their claims.
The sources also indicated that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu requested U.S. President Joe Biden, during a phone conversation, to exert more pressure on mediators to finalize the deal. The Israeli newspaper also reported that Hamas is capable of withstanding military operations, inflicting heavy losses on the Israeli army daily.
Netanyahu had reaffirmed to the American president that Israel will continue its war against Gaza until all its goals are achieved. According to a statement from Netanyahu's office, the Israeli Prime Minister expressed to Biden his appreciation for the U.S. position towards Israel at the United Nations.
Meanwhile, the White House stated that President Biden and the Israeli Prime Minister discussed the objectives and phases of the military operation in Gaza and the importance of securing the release of all remaining captives held by Hamas. In a brief press meeting, President Biden stated that he had not requested Netanyahu to implement a ceasefire in Gaza. This comes as Filippo Grandi, the UN High Commissioner for Refugees, stated on Sunday that a ceasefire in Gaza is the only way forward to secure the release of the hostages.
