The delegation includes Mossad chief David Barnea, Shin Bet director Ron Bar, Israeli army general, and Netanyahu’s political advisor Ophir Falk, the newspaper said.

Netanyahu’s decision followed a situation assessment on the ongoing talks, attended by Defense Minister Israel Katz, senior security officials, and representatives from both the Biden and incoming Trump administrations, the report added.

Earlier on Saturday, Netanyahu met in Jerusalem with Steve Witkoff, the incoming U.S. envoy for the Middle East under the Trump administration.

Hamas sources said a deal had been finalized, pending Netanyahu's approval.

Israeli Channel 13 news cited sources involved in the negotiations as describing “general cautious progress” in the Qatar-mediated talks. However, a senior Israeli official told the outlet that Hamas had yet to provide a list of living captives to Israel.

A Hamas official told Qatari outlet Al-Araby Al-Jadeed that the deal is essentially complete, with mediators awaiting Israel’s response. The official noted that Hamas had agreed to defer several unresolved issues to later phases of the agreement, provided subsequent stages proceed as planned.

The negotiations are facilitated by mediators from Egypt, Qatar, and the United States, who reportedly support Hamas’s latest proposals. The Hamas official described the talks as being “at the closest point [yet] to completing the agreement,” with a response from Israel expected on Saturday.

Israel has previously insisted it would not accept a ceasefire requiring a full halt to its war on Gaza, a condition that could emerge during the final stages of the proposed three-phase deal.

According to the Qatari report, should Israel approve the agreement, mediators would hold a press conference detailing the deal’s terms, timeline, and implementation schedule.

Separately, Witkoff met in Doha on Friday with Qatari Prime Minister Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani, who briefed him on the status of the negotiations.

U.S. officials expressed cautious optimism on Friday about the potential for a deal before the end of President Joe Biden’s term.

CIA Director William Burns described the negotiations in Doha as “quite serious,” while White House National Security Council spokesperson John Kirby said a captive deal remains possible before January 20.