White House national security adviser Jake Sullivan said Issa had been killed last week in an Israeli operation
See all our Israel-Gaza war coverage
Amos Harel in Haaretz offers this analysis of the political calculations that Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu may be making around any possible hostage deal. Harel writes:
Political sources still believe that what motivates the prime minister above all is his political survival and hold on power as his criminal trial progresses. To this end, Netanyahu needs more time, and therefore any delay in indirect negotiations with Hamas serves his interests, despite his declared commitment to rescuing the hostages.
Netanyahu’s opposition to a possible hostage deal does not appear to be principled or sweeping. From his perspective, the major problem is a prolonged ceasefire that could herald the end of the war. The structure of the deal currently being discussed speaks of a six-week ceasefire, during which a first tranche of Israeli hostages will be returned in exchange for the release of hundreds of Palestinian prisoners, some of whom are considered high-profile. Even if talks run aground on a second phase of a deal – in which Israeli soldiers and younger men held by Hamas are expected to be released – it will probably be several more weeks before fighting resumes.
