Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Thursday that it is too early to say that Tel Aviv has reached an agreement on a prisoner exchange deal with Hamas.

Netanyahu added in a press conference at the Defense Ministry headquarters in Tel Aviv: “It is too early to say that we have reached a new exchange deal with the Hamas movement.”

He demanded that "the names of all the prisoners detained (in Gaza), who will be part of the potential deal, be known in advance."

Netanyahu continued: “I cannot make a promise about reaching an agreement now.”

Negotiations are currently underway between the Palestinian factions and Israel, mediated by Egypt, Qatar, and the United States, with the aim of reaching a calm in Gaza, releasing Israeli detainees and Palestinian prisoners, and supporting the humanitarian situation in the besieged Strip.

Regarding the Israeli war on Gaza, Netanyahu stressed that Tel Aviv “will not stop the war on Hamas, nor will we yield to its demands, and we will continue the war until we achieve a decisive victory.”

He added: "Based on this, I am seeking to double recruitment and prepare a law to support the army and its efforts."

The Israeli Prime Minister considered that "victory over the Hamas movement will come by eliminating all of its brigades in the center and south of the Gaza Strip."

Netanyahu's statements come to raise questions about the unilateral statements issued by US President Joe Biden over the past few days, during which he indicated anticipation of a truce in the Gaza Strip next Monday.

Regarding the demonstrations demanding immediate elections in Israel, Netanyahu said, “Holding general elections during the war would mean defeat for Israel, and this is exactly the dream of (Hamas leader in Gaza Yahya) Sinwar and (Lebanese Hezbollah Secretary General Hassan) Nasrallah,” as he put it. .

Regarding security measures during the upcoming month of Ramadan, Netanyahu claimed that his government would allow freedom of worship for Muslims during the holy month.

He pointed out that "Israel has always been sovereign in the Temple Mount area (the Jewish name for Al-Aqsa Mosque), and we allow freedom of worship there."

Warnings are mounting in Israel about the “explosion” of the situation in the West Bank and East Jerusalem during the upcoming month of Ramadan, next March 11, as a result of the war on the Gaza Strip.