Netanyahu puts difficulties to Israel's prisoner swap deal with Hamas: Defense minister

Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant accused Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Wednesday of putting difficulties to efforts aimed at reaching a prisoner swap agreement with Hamas.

"If a deal is not signed in the next two weeks, the fate of the hostages is sealed," Gallant said during a close meeting cited by Israeli daily Yedioth Ahronoth.

He said conditions for a deal with Hamas have matured, but Netanyahu is putting difficulties in order not to lose his coalition members Itamar Ben-Gvir and Bezalel Smotrich.

Far-right National Security Minister Ben-Gvir and Finance Minister Smotrich have threatened to bring down Netanyahu's coalition government in case of any deal with Hamas.

According to the newspaper, Mossad chief David Barnea, head of Shin Bet security service Ronan Bar and army Chief of Staff Herzi Halevi believe that "Israel would have difficulty reaching agreements under Netanyahu's new conditions."

Indirect talks between Israel and Hamas mediated by the U.S., Qatar and Egypt have so far failed to agree on a permanent cease-fire that allows a prisoner swap between Israelis and Palestinians.

Flouting a UN Security Council resolution demanding an immediate cease-fire, Israel has faced international condemnation amid its continued brutal offensive on Gaza since an Oct. 7 attack by Hamas.

Nearly 38,800 Palestinians have since been killed, mostly women and children, and more than 89,100 injured, according to local health authorities.

Over nine months into the Israeli onslaught, vast tracts of Gaza lie in ruins amid a crippling blockade of food, clean water and medicine.

Israel is accused of genocide at the International Court of Justice, whose latest ruling ordered it to immediately halt its military operation in the southern city of Rafah, where more than 1 million Palestinians had sought refuge from the war before it was invaded on May 6.