All eyes on Qatar as Mossad chief jets out to Doha for Gaza peace talks
Mossad chief David Barnea recently traveled to Doha to discuss a potential hostage release deal with CIA Director Bill Burns and Qatari Prime Minister Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani.
The officials are exploring ways to restart negotiations for the release of hostages from Hamas captivity, following the killing of Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar by IDF troops earlier this month.
The development has been seen as an opportunity to make progress on a deal that would see the release of some or all the hostages held in Gaza.
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Reports say Hamas will not be involved in the early round of meetings, but could potentially join a subsequent round, with mediators shuttling between the group and Israeli negotiators.
Qatar hosts a number of top Hamas leaders on its territory, making it a key player in the negotiations. Israel is exploring the possibility of a small deal designed to kick-start talks with Hamas about a comprehensive deal and to understand Hamas’s decision-making after Sinwar’s death.
Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi has proposed a two-day ceasefire in Gaza to exchange four Israeli hostages for some Palestinian prisoners.
The proposal includes 10 days of negotiations after the release of the 4 hostages, and was presented by Shin Bet chief Ronen Bar last week to the national security cabinet. While most ministers and security chiefs supported the idea, Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich and National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir opposed it.
Hamas has expressed willingness to accept the Egyptian proposal, but only if it is incorporated into its July 2 demands for a hostage deal. The group also wants guarantees that Israel will commit to the Egyptian proposal being part of a comprehensive deal.
The involvement of multiple countries, including the US, Qatar, and Egypt, underscores the international community’s interest in finding a resolution to the conflict. As the negotiations continue, it remains to be seen what the outcome will be and how it will impact the broader conflict between Israel and Hamas.
