Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is facing mounting frustration within Israel and abroad over his handling of faltering talks aimed at securing a Gaza hostage release and ceasefire deal, according to three Israeli officials.

Divisions between Netanyahu and the defence establishment over the deal have also surfaced in public remarks and behind closed doors, in angry exchanges leaked on Saturday to the Israeli press.

Over the past four weeks three Israeli officials, one in the negotiating team and two with close knowledge of the talks, have voiced concern that politics was undermining the chances of a deal.

"The feeling is that the prime minister is avoiding making a decision about the deal and is not pushing for it full force," one of the officials told Reuters on Sunday.

Some of Netanyahu's far-right coalition partners have threatened government stability should the war end before Hamas is defeated.

Netanyahu has repeatedly said the release of the remaining 115 hostages held in Gaza since the Hamas-led Oct. 7 assault on Israel that triggered the war was a top priority.

The Oct. 7 attackers killed 1,200 people and took more than 250 captive, according to Israeli tallies. Gaza's Hamas-run health authorities say more than 39,000 Palestinians have since been killed in fighting in the densely populated coastal enclave.