LONDON: Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has ordered stricter military censorship on media coverage of ongoing prisoner swap negotiations with Hamas, Israeli newspaper Israel Hayom reported on Sunday.

Citing political sources, the report revealed that Netanyahu’s office instructed the military censor to impose tighter restrictions than usual on information related to the potential deal.

A statement from Netanyahu’s office emphasized the importance of confidentiality, saying: “The prime minister has instructed ministers and security officials to fully adhere to information security protocols during security discussions.”

The decision reflects cautious optimism in Tel Aviv that a breakthrough might be reached by the Jewish festival of Hanukkah, starting on Dec. 25.

However, no official details of the talks have been disclosed due to concerns that public debate or leaks could jeopardize the negotiations.

“There is significant compartmentalization and also a heavy blackout compared to previous times over the past year — so that we can succeed in bringing about a deal,” a political source was quoted as saying.

Despite months of war, previous efforts to negotiate with Hamas have repeatedly failed.

Critics have accused Netanyahu and his coalition partners of undermining potential agreements to prolong the conflict, allegedly for political gain.

Netanyahu’s personal legal battles have also fueled skepticism.

The prime minister, currently standing trial for bribery, fraud, and breach of trust, has faced allegations that the ongoing war serves as a distraction from his legal woes.

His trial, which has already been delayed due to the war, is expected to extend well into next year, with potential appeals likely to dominate Israeli politics for the foreseeable future.

DOHA, Qatar: Qatar-based Al Jazeera condemned the Sunday killing of one of its journalists in an Israeli strike on Gaza, calling the death a “targeted killing” in a statement.
He is the fifth Al Jazeera journalist to be killed since the war in Gaza began more than 14 months ago.
“Al Jazeera Media Network condemns in the strongest terms the killing of its cameraman,

, 39, by the Israeli occupation forces,” the channel said.
“He was brutally killed in an air strike that targeted a Civil Defense post in the market area of Al-Nuseirat Camp, central Gaza Strip,” it added.
The Israeli military confirmed in a statement it had killed Louh, saying he was a member of Islamic Jihad and “previously served as a platoon commander” for the militant group.
Israel’s military has repeatedly accused journalists from the Al Jazeera of links to Hamas or its ally Islamic Jihad. Al Jazeera has fiercely denied these accusations and said Israel systematically targets its employees in the Gaza Strip.
The military said it struck a “command and control center embedded in the offices of the civil defense organization in Nuseirat,” targeting “Hamas and Islamic Jihad terrorists.” It said the center was used to target Israeli troops.
Gaza’s civil defense agency spokesman Mahmud Bassal confirmed Louh had been killed in the strike on the Nuseirat camp that also claimed the lives of three members of Bassal’s rescue agency.
Bassal told AFP a warplane had “targeted the Civil Defense site in Nuseirat camp.”
In a statement, the Palestinian militant group Hamas called Louh’s killing an “assassination” and a “war crime,” describing it as “part of a systematic targeting of journalists in Gaza, aimed at intimidating them and deterring them.”

Al Jazeera said Louh’s killing came “just days after the targeting of his house” by Israeli forces who “utterly destroyed” it.
“Al Jazeera unequivocally condemns the ongoing crimes committed by Israeli occupation forces against journalists and media professionals in Gaza,” the channel said.
The network added it would “pursue all legal measures to prosecute the perpetrators” of these crimes.
Since the start of the war in the Palestinian territory on October 7 last year, Al Jazeera has aired continuous on-the-ground reporting on the effects of Israel’s campaign.
The global channel, since before the war, has been the focus of long-running feud with the Israeli government which has repeatedly accused journalists from Al Jazeera of links to Hamas or its ally Islamic Jihad.
In September, Israeli forces raided Al Jazeera’s office in the West Bank, with Israel’s military saying the Ramallah bureau had been “used to incite terror” and “support terrorist activities.”
Al Jazeera called the Israeli raid “a criminal act” and an attack on press freedom.
In April, the Israeli parliament passed a law allowing the banning of foreign media broadcasts deemed harmful to state security.
Based on this law, Israel’s government on May 5 approved the decision to ban Al Jazeera from broadcasting from Israel and close its offices.
In September, armed and masked Israeli forced raided Al Jazeera’s West bank office and issued an initial closure order.
Israel’s military said the Ramallah office was “used to incite terror” and “support terrorist activities,” and Al Jazeera’s broadcasts endangered Israel’s security.
The New York-based Committee to Protect Journalists earlier on Sunday said the Israel-Hamas war “has taken an unprecedented toll on Gazan journalists.”
The watchdog said CPJ’s preliminary investigations showed at least 137 journalists and media workers have been killed in Gaza, the West Bank, Israel and Lebanon since October 7, 2023.