Mossad, CIA, and Qatar's PM in crucial Gaza ceasefire talks
David Barnea, the head of Israel's Mossad, met in Doha, Qatar, with CIA Director Bill Burns and the Prime Minister of Qatar, Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al-Thani. The discussions were another attempt to reach an agreement on a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip. Egypt's President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi presented a new ceasefire proposal.
This is the first meeting of its kind since the killing nearly two weeks ago of Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar. The United States, Egypt, and Qatar have been mediating for months in negotiations aiming to end the war between Israel and Hamas in the Gaza Strip, which has been ongoing for more than a year without result.
New proposal from Egypt
Egypt's President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi proposed a preliminary two-day ceasefire. In exchange, Hamas would release four hostages, who would be exchanged for an unspecified number of Palestinian prisoners held in Israel. After two days, negotiations for a permanent ceasefire would take place over the next ten days.
About 100 hostages kidnapped on 7th October 2023, during a Hamas attack on Israel, are still in captivity.
The Egyptian proposal was received favourably by the Israeli government, with the exception of two far-right ministers: Itamar Ben Gvir and Bezalel Smotrich. Nonetheless, the cabinet ultimately did not accept it, reports Israeli television Channel 12. Meanwhile, the Saudi station Al Arabiya reports that Hamas is willing to agree to the conditions proposed by Sisi, provided their prior demands are considered.
Hamas representatives are working on a comprehensive agreement, which would include a ceasefire, withdrawal of Israeli forces from the Gaza Strip, and the simultaneous release of all Israeli hostages in exchange for the release of a specified number of Palestinian prisoners, reports Saudi television Asharq News.
Representatives from Hamas did not participate in the talks held in Doha; their meeting with negotiators is expected to take place at a later time. An Israeli official in Jerusalem told the "Times of Israel" portal that to date, neither Israel nor the mediators have received an official response from Hamas regarding the latest round of talks.
The office of Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu stated that the discussions in Qatar concerned a "new framework" agreement, considering both previous arrangements and the "development of the situation in the region." According to information from "Times of Israel," the possibility of combining Egypt's short-term proposal with a previous comprehensive plan from the United States was discussed.
As early as May, U.S. President Joe Biden presented a three-stage plan aimed at achieving a full ceasefire and gradually exchanging hostages for prisoners. Despite initial acceptance from both conflicting sides, negotiations stalled due to mutual accusations of introducing new conditions.
Israel has repeatedly declared that it will not cease military actions until Hamas is destroyed as a military force and removed from power in the Gaza Strip. Conversely, Hamas vows to continue fighting until Israeli troops withdraw from Gaza. Regardless of other conditions, the Palestinian group also demands the release of Yahya Sinwar's body, reported the Israeli portal Ynet.
