Gaza hostage deal: Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says conditions for a possible ceasefire with Hamas have improved significantly

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Thursday that conditions for a possible agreement to release Israeli hostages in the Gaza Strip had improved significantly.

Asked about a possible hostage deal, Netanyahu said in an interview with local channel 14: “I think the conditions have changed a lot for the better.”

He did not give any specific details.

Meanwhile, the Israeli military said in a statement that it had detected several suspicious activities that posed a threat and violated the terms of the ceasefire agreement with Lebanon’s Hezbollah.

“Any deviation from this agreement will be enforced with fire,” said Chief of General Staff Herzi Halevi.

Later on Thursday, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said he had ordered the military to prepare for heavy fighting if the ceasefire was violated.

“We are enforcing forcefully,” Netanyahu said in an interview with Israel’s Channel 14. “But if necessary, I have given an instruction to the IDF: Be prepared for an intense war if there is a violation of the ceasefire framework.”

Lebanese families forced from their homes near the southern border tried to return to check on their property. But Israeli troops remain stationed on Lebanese territory in towns along the border and Reuters reporters heard surveillance drones flying over parts of southern Lebanon.

The Israeli military on Thursday renewed a curfew restricting the movement of residents of southern Lebanon south of the Litani River between 5:00 p.m. and 7:00 a.m.

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