Far-right ministers in Israel are piling pressure on Benjamin Netanyahu to spurn a broader hostage-for-prisoner release deal with Hamas, even as talks continue in Qatar over extending the temporary truce in Gaza.
Two of the Israeli prime minister’s cabinet ramped up attacks on the ceasefire, warning that his coalition government was under threat if he pursued a more ambitious swap with the Palestinian militant group.
The current truce agreement, which took effect last Friday, has the potential to be extended to 10 days, but there have also been discussions about a broader deal that would probably require Israel to commit to a more lasting halt to hostilities against Hamas and release large numbers of Palestinian prisoners, including those convicted of murder.