Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu spoke on Monday about progress in negotiations on a prisoner exchange deal, amid reports that it could be implemented in the coming weeks.

"I don't know how long it will take," he said during the "40 Signatures" session in the Knesset.

He explained that "despite the great achievements made by the State of Israel, the joy will not be complete until we return all our prisoners to their homes. I cannot tell you all the details that we are doing, but I can say that there is progress."

Netanyahu pointed out that the progress in the negotiations is due to three main reasons: First, “Yahya Sinwar is no longer among us,” second, “Hamas was hoping that Iran and Hezbollah would intervene to help it, but they are busy treating the wounds they sustained from our strikes,” and third, “Hamas itself is receiving blows, and is under constant military pressure in the Gaza Strip.”

"So there is progress, but I can't say how long it will take," he continued.

At the beginning of his speech, Netanyahu commented on the criticism directed at him by opposition Knesset members, and attacked opposition leader Yair Lapid after his speech on Saturday evening.

He said: "I heard your speech and I understand what pressure means. I do not want to say that the leader of the opposition is not under pressure, but we should not be under pressure. It is better to remain calm and take our time. I want to hear from you: Have you declared war? On whom are you declaring war? On your brothers? We are in a war on seven fronts, and we are succeeding in it."

Regarding the criticism directed at him regarding his position on the attack on Hamas, Netanyahu stressed that "the eighth front is the Hague court, to defend every one of our soldiers. This is the eighth front, if you did not understand."

The session held in the Knesset was called upon by the Prime Minister to respond to the opposition’s accusations in the framework of the “40 Signatures” discussion, where members demanded clarification of the government’s positions on various issues such as progress in negotiations on the prisoner swap deal, the investigation into the October 7 massacre, the plan to dismiss the government’s attorney general, and the law exempting the Haredim from military service.

Netanyahu attended the session after testifying in his trial, where his testimony was cut short due to security restrictions at the court in Tel Aviv, causing him to arrive late to the session.

In the background to the session, the opposition had accused Netanyahu and other ministers of trying to obstruct negotiations over a prisoner deal, pointing to the prime minister's interview with the Wall Street Journal last weekend, in which he said he would not agree to end the war before Hamas was destroyed.

On the other hand, the head of the "State Camp" party, Benny Gantz, commented on the repeated attacks by the Houthis, stressing that if Israel wants to stop the attacks, it must target Iran directly. He also touched on the controversy over the law exempting the Haredim from conscription, stressing that "the proposals being presented are useless."

With Netanyahu and his allies refusing to form an independent commission of inquiry into the failure that preceded the October 7 operation, opposition leader Yair Lapid confirmed today that he will not cooperate with any political commission of inquiry, stressing that the opposition will not be part of the "fraud" promoted by some in the ruling coalition.