The Israeli opposition accused Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, on Saturday, of trying to thwart a prisoner exchange deal with Hamas, after a statement by a "political source" confirming Tel Aviv's insistence on Rafah entering the southern Gaza Strip, with or without a deal.

Earlier Saturday, Hebrew channels and newspapers circulated a statement by an unnamed Israeli "political source" in which he said that Tel Aviv "will not agree to end the war within any deal with Hamas."

The source added, "The army will enter Rafah whether there is a truce to release the kidnapped or not."

A number of opposition representatives in the Israeli Knesset (Parliament) considered in their blog posts on the “X” platform that this statement came out of Netanyahu’s office, at a critical time, and in a rare manner during the Sabbath holiday, during which he usually does not issue any official statements or statements, and that “In an attempt to thwart the negotiations before the mediators receive Hamas’ response, which is expected to be positive.”

“He (Netanyahu) is doing everything to prevent an agreement, including giving a briefing on Saturday,” said MP Karen Al-Harar, from the “There is a Future” party led by Yair Lapid.

She added, "Netanyahu's main consideration is not to anger the extremist National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir and Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, and to satisfy the electoral base. He does not have an iota of leadership obligating him to try to correct even a little, and to do everything in his power to return the kidnapped people."

Al-Harar, who served as Minister of Energy (2021-2022), concluded, “Netanyahu is morally disgraceful, and must be replaced.”

Netanyahu is facing increasing pressure not to accept a deal that would lead to ending the war in Gaza and canceling the military operation in Rafah.

Smotrich and Ben Gvir previously threatened to dissolve the government if this happened.

In a related context, Merav Ben Ari, head of the parliamentary bloc of There is a Future, said: “I read the briefings issued on Saturday by the Prime Minister’s Office, shortly before Hamas delivered its response.”

She added: "I can't help but wonder what terrible man is leading this country (referring to Netanyahu). There has never been and never will be such a person."

She continued to address Netanyahu: “Bring the kidnapped ones back home, and then continue the war. Rafah is not going anywhere, (but) the kidnapped ones are in danger every day.”

In turn, Efrat Reiten, a representative from the Labor Party, said: “Issuing a statement about entering Rafah under any circumstances, with or without a deal, at such a critical time, when all parties agree, and it is possible to bring out the kidnapped people alive, means thwarting the deal and abandoning the situation.” It is one of the war goals that have been identified - the return of the kidnapped people.

She concluded by saying: “The blame will always be on you, Netanyahu.”

For his part, Vladimir Bliak, from the “There is a Future” party, wrote: “There is no way to embellish this. Netanyahu is trying to thwart the deal to return the kidnapped people, because the deal may lead to the dismantling of his ruling coalition,” referring to Ben Gvir and Smotrich’s threats.

He added: "The man who abandoned the citizens of the State of Israel on Black Saturday has been abandoning them over and over again for 7 and a half months."

He added: "At the head of the State of Israel there is a terrible, corrupt politician who has no conscience and no red lines."

Bleak called on the Israelis to "go out and demonstrate tonight," considering that "nothing will save the kidnappers and the future of the country except massive popular pressure."

This comes as Barak Ravid, the political correspondent for the Hebrew “Walla” website, and the American “Axios” website, quoted Israeli officials as saying, “There are early indications that Hamas will agree to implement the first phase of the deal - releasing the abductees for humanitarian reasons - without a formal commitment.” from Israel to end the war.”

Earlier Saturday, the private Cairo News channel quoted an unnamed high-ranking source as saying that a Hamas delegation had arrived in Cairo, noting “remarkable progress” in the truce negotiations in Gaza.

Last Monday, the same channel reported that the Hamas delegation left Cairo and would return again with a written response to an Egyptian proposal regarding a truce deal in the Gaza Strip.

On the same day, Egyptian Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry announced, in a speech at an international forum in Riyadh, the presence of a proposal from his country at the negotiating table regarding reaching a truce in Gaza, calling on the Palestinian and Israeli sides to study it, without further details.

With the mediation of Egypt and Qatar and the participation of the United States, Israel and Hamas have been conducting faltering indirect negotiations for months to reach an agreement to exchange prisoners and ceasefire.

Cairo is adopting a proposal it recently submitted regarding the deal, after intensifying its contacts with Hamas and Israel regarding “controversial points” between the two sides, according to Egyptian media, Thursday.

Tel Aviv estimates that there are 133 Israeli prisoners in Gaza, while Hamas announced that 70 of them were killed in random raids launched by Israel, which holds at least 9,500 Palestinians in its prisons.

Hamas is committed to ending the ongoing war since October 7, the withdrawal of the Israeli occupation army, the freedom for the displaced to return to their areas, the entry of sufficient humanitarian aid, and an end to the siege, as part of any prisoner exchange deal.