Shas Party Urges Netanyahu to Complete Hostage Deal

The ultra-Orthodox Shas party is urging Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to proceed with a hostage-ceasefire deal with Hamas, despite opposition from far-right coalition partners, emphasizing the current military conditions as optimal for such an agreement (Times of Israel, Jerusalem Post). Eli Albag, a father of one of the hostages, has also indicated that a top government official suggested a deal might be imminent (Times of Israel). However, sources have reported that Netanyahu has introduced new conditions to the negotiations, potentially sabotaging the deal under pressure from Itamar Ben-Gvir and other far-right influences (Jerusalem Post). Meanwhile, approximately 500 Israeli academics have requested that the U.S. Congress rescind its invitation to Netanyahu, criticizing his leadership and the political implications of such an invitation (Jerusalem Post).