Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu on Sunday sidestepped questions from reporters about partial hostage deals, but newly disclosed remarks from last week’s Cabinet meeting reveal deep divisions over Israel’s negotiating stance — and the risks of rejecting incremental agreements.

According to accounts from the closed-door session, Strategic Affairs Minister Ron Dermer told ministers that Washington’s position, as conveyed by U.S. special envoy Steve Witkoff to hostage families, was clear: “all or nothing.” Dermer said he backed that approach, arguing a comprehensive deal for all 50 hostages, alive and dead, was preferable and warning there was no time to pursue smaller agreements. “We don’t have all the time in the world — not from [President Donald] Trump’s perspective either,” Dermer said. “If the talks go on for a long time, we can’t afford a partial deal. By the end of a 60-day pause, we may not have the credit to resume fighting.”

Netanyahu pressed him: “So you mean if Hamas offers a partial deal, we refuse?” Dermer replied, “If such an offer comes, we’ll see.”

National Security Adviser Tzachi Hanegbi took a sharply different line, telling ministers there was still a chance to rescue at least 10 living hostages under an initial framework, and another 10 in a follow-on agreement. In his view, a rigid “all or nothing” demand would push Hamas toward nothing. “It’s clear to me that to achieve this, we need an operational lever,” he added, backing the IDF chief of staff’s plan to encircle all remaining Hamas strongholds in Gaza.

Hours after Netanyahu publicly ordered the military to expedite the capture of Gaza City, Hamas sources told Ynet a senior delegation would meet Egyptian intelligence officials on Monday to discuss Israel’s threats of a major offensive, the stalled hostage talks, and the fallout from Witkoff’s recent meeting with Qatar’s prime minister in Ibiza.

Arab media on Monday reported renewed mediation efforts. Lebanon’s Hezbollah-affiliated Al-Akhbar said Cairo is preparing to host Hamas leadership “as part of efforts led by Cairo and Doha to resume negotiations before the launch of a new military operation.” Qatar’s Al Araby channel reported that the delegation will be headed by senior Hamas figure Khalil al-Hayya. Egyptian and Qatari officials are reportedly working on an “alternative vision” — potentially a compromise between full and partial deals — that could include a 60-day or longer ceasefire backed by U.S. and international guarantees.

Meanwhile, Al-Akhbar claimed the Trump administration floated a plan to relocate about one million Gazans to Libya, a proposal Libya publicly rejected but which Cairo fears could gain traction under U.S. pressure.

Netanyahu told Israeli media that victory would come through “sophisticated methods that will surprise Hamas,” and later spoke with Trump. The Prime Minister’s Office said the two discussed plans to seize Hamas strongholds “to end the war by freeing the hostages and defeating the terror organization.”

While Netanyahu declared Hamas’ demands — including the release of Nukhba commandos, guarantees against resumed fighting, and an Israeli pullout from the Philadelphi Corridor — “surrender terms” no government could accept, some mediators said the gaps between the sides were “small and bridgeable.” Several officials accused Israel of breaking off negotiations prematurely.

(YWN World Headquarters – NYC)