Tel Aviv, 30 June 2025 (dpa/MIA) – Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Sunday that his country's attacks against Iran have opened up "broad regional possibilities," while emphasizing that freeing the remaining hostages is his top priority, Israeli media reported.

In a visit to a facility of the Shin Bet domestic intelligence agency in southern Israel, the prime minister said "first of all [we need] to free the hostages.

'Of course, we will also have to solve the Gaza issue, to defeat Hamas, but I believe that we will achieve both tasks.”

His remarks were interpreted by domestic media as a signal that Netanyahu is now prioritizing the return of the hostages above other objectives, such as defeating the Palestinian Islamist Hamas militia.

The progressive Haaretz newspaper noted that this came after US President Donald Trump said the Gaza war needs to end and predicted on Friday that a ceasefire would be reached in the coming week.

On Sunday evening, Netanyahu chaired a small Cabinet meeting at a military headquarters to discuss the war in Gaza and efforts to negotiate the release of hostages still held by Hamas in exchange for Palestinian prisoners in Israeli jails, according to reports. The meeting ended with no decision, and further discussions were scheduled for Monday.

That's when Ron Dermer, Israel's minister for strategic affairs, is expected to meet with US officials in Washington, according to Israeli media. The meeting aims to coordinate with the US ahead of another round of mediation talks in Cairo regarding a potential Gaza agreement.

Photo: epa