Israel is ramping up efforts to seal a sweeping ceasefire and hostage release deal in Gaza ahead of Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu’s high-stakes trip to Washington next week, multiple Israeli news outlets reported. For the first time since the war erupted, Israel is prepared to enter negotiations on a comprehensive framework that could secure the release of all 50 remaining hostages held by Hamas, Channel 12 reported, citing sources close to the talks. Even if Hamas signals willingness to move forward — a decision that could come within 24 hours — the path to a deal remains long. Negotiations would shift to Doha or Cairo to work out details on the exchange of Palestinian security prisoners, IDF withdrawals, and humanitarian aid corridors — a process expected to stretch at least another week. At the center of the push are wider-ranging talks led by Strategic Affairs Minister Ron Dermer, U.S. special envoy Steve Witkoff, and Qatari officials, seeking to pin down how far Israel is prepared to go toward ending its military campaign, and whether Hamas will bend on core demands. Without Hamas signoff, the odds of a breakthrough remain slim, despite growing optimism, according to the reports. Netanyahu on Wednesday insisted the objectives of destroying Hamas and freeing the hostages are not mutually exclusive. “There will be no Hamas. There will be no Hamastan. We are not going back to that,” the prime minister declared at the Eilat Ashkelon Pipeline Company headquarters in Ashkelon. “We will release all our hostages.” Critics who argue Israel must choose between eliminating Hamas or securing hostage releases are spreading “nonsense,” Netanyahu added. “It works together. We will complete this together,” he said. Meanwhile, Channel 12 reported that Netanyahu is expected to ask President Donald Trump at Monday’s White House meeting to press Qatar into threatening senior Hamas officials with expulsion if they do not show flexibility or advance the framework quickly. Senior Israeli officials have grown frustrated over what they see as “preferential treatment” granted to Hamas leadership abroad, and believe targeted sanctions could shift the calculus — particularly against a senior Hamas figure whose name was withheld, currently being hosted by Qatar or Turkey. “Hamas leaders are traveling freely around the world and feel no pressure — that’s why they’re in no rush to make a deal,” one security official told Channel 12. Hamas, for its part, signaled Wednesday it was open to a ceasefire but rejected a U.S.-backed proposal laid out by Trump a day earlier, under which Israel had agreed “to the necessary conditions to finalize” a 60-day truce. Trump described it as a framework that would allow all parties to work toward ending the war for good. The terms largely mirror previous proposals, which have repeatedly collapsed over post-truce security guarantees. Israel insists on maintaining its right to resume operations, while Hamas is demanding a permanent ceasefire. Kan reported that both Netanyahu and Defense Minister Yisrael Katz have privately expressed support for the framework under discussion, though no formal government endorsement has been issued. The framework reportedly includes U.S.-brokered guarantees that negotiations on a permanent end to the conflict would continue beyond the initial 60-day ceasefire, potentially to be announced as soon as next week. Channel 13 said Israel is also preparing for the possibility that a preliminary agreement could […]