Far-right Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich called the potential cease-fire deal between Israel and Hamas a “serious error,” according to Israeli news outlet Yedioth Ahronoth.

“Hamas is at its lowest point since the beginning of the war, and this is not the time to give it a lifeline,” Smotrich told the Haredi radio station Kol Barama, according to the Ynet News site. The minister said without providing details that the deal would not serve the interests of Israel or return the captives “because in the end, it’s a partial deal."

A round of talks in mid-October failed to produce a deal, with Hamas rejecting a short-term cease-fire proposal.

Hamas said talks in Qatar on Tuesday aimed at a truce and hostage-prisoner exchange in Gaza were “serious and positive,” a day after an Israeli delegation arrived in Doha to meet with mediators.

“Hamas affirms that, in light of the serious and positive discussions taking place today in Doha under the auspices of our Qatari and Egyptian brothers, reaching an agreement for a cease-fire and a prisoner exchange is possible if the occupation ceases to impose new conditions,” Hamas said in a statement.

Israel’s Defence Minister Israel Katz also indicated on Monday that Israeli negotiators have “not been this close to an agreement” for the release of hostages in Gaza since the November 2023 truce.