Netanyahu Believes Israel's Hostage Release Deal In Gaza Is Near

JAKARTA - Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu told the family of hostages detained in Gaza that a deal would guarantee their release was imminent.

Israeli forces resumed attacks on the Khan Younis region of southern Gaza after ordering civilians to evacuate several districts they said had been used for new attacks by Palestinian militants.

Thousands of people fled to safer areas when Israeli airstrikes hit, UN officials said.

Netanyahu is currently in Washington and is expected to meet US President Joe Biden this weekend after delivering a speech at Congress.

"The requirements (for the agreement) are undoubtedly ripe. This is a good sign," Netanyahu told the family of hostages in the US.

Efforts to reach a ceasefire in the war between Israel and Hamas, outlined by Biden in May and mediated by Egypt and Qatar, have gained momentum over the past month.

"Unfortunately, this will not happen at once; there will be stages. However, I believe that we can advance the deal and allow us to have the influence to free others (inhosts who are not released in the first phase)," Netanyahu said.

Ruby Chen, the father of dual US-Israeli citizen Itai Chen, a soldier whose body was detained in Gaza, is one of the family members who met Netanyahu.

"He did say that his condition was getting more mature, but I didn't respond," Chen told Israeli Army Radio.

Chen said he hoped Biden would put greater pressure on Netanyahu to secure the deal.

Senior Hamas official Sami Abu Zuhri told Reuters there was nothing new in Netanyahu's attitude.

Netanyahu is still buying time and he sent the delegation just to calm the anger of the Israeli prisoners' families, he said.

An Israeli negotiating team is scheduled for Thursday to resume negotiations that include the release of hostages in exchange for Palestinian prisoners detained in Israeli prisons.

In a week-long ceasefire in November, 105 hostages were released in exchange for 240 Palestinian prisoners.