Mr. Netanyahu said this is being achieved through combined diplomatic and military pressure on Hamas. He said Hamas is under great pressure, has lost many of its leaders and thousands of its fighters, and Israel is on the way to victory.

Opposition leader Yair Lapid demanded that Netanyahu either announce his acceptance of a hostage deal during his July 24 speech to the US Congress or cancel his upcoming trip to Washington.

Israeli media said last night that Israel’s negotiating delegation has returned to Egypt to continue negotiating a ceasefire and hostage exchange agreement with Hamas.

Hezbollah leader Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah said Wednesday that Hezbollah will hit new targets in Israel if Israel keeps killing civilians in Lebanon. Nasrallah said if Israel’s tanks come to southern Lebanon, Israel will not only lose tanks, it will lose them all.