Mossad head David Barnea will head to Doha on Sunday to join CIA Director Bill Burns and Qatari Prime Minister Mohammed Al Thani for a summit focused on resuming hostage negotiations.
The talks aim to reignite discussions on a potential hostage exchange deal, despite U.S. officials reportedly believing that any major agreement would likely be deferred until after the U.S. presidential election in early November.
Egyptian intelligence head Hassan Rashad, who met with a Hamas delegation in Cairo over the weekend, is not expected to attend the summit, though Hamas could join the negotiations later.
In recent weeks, Israeli and American officials, including Barnea, have coordinated behind the scenes to draft a framework that considers recent shifts in regional dynamics. CIA Director Burns hopes to use this momentum to push for consensus on a renewed framework. A proposed “mini-deal” from Egypt that would release four hostages in exchange for a temporary two-week ceasefire is also under discussion.
Encouraged by various recent developments—including Sinwar’s assassination, Hamas’s engagement with Egyptian officials, and Hezbollah’s weakened position—Israel believes the timing is ideal for negotiations. With both Qatar and Egypt vying for influence in facilitating a potential deal, Israel hopes the Doha summit will align the Qatari and Egyptian frameworks into a unified proposal.
The summit’s outcome may hinge on U.S. pressure on Qatar, which Israel sees as capable of applying strong leverage on Hamas but thus far has refrained from doing so. An Israeli official emphasized that time is critical in resolving the hostage situation, adding, “We are committed to advancing a deal as quickly as possible.”
Get the Ynetnews app on your smartphone:
Attachments October 27th , 2024 ― Doha, Qatar: In pursuit of food security and livelihood support for the most vulnerable famil
CIA Director William Burns is set to hold a renewed round of hostage talks in Doha on Sunday amid an intense push by the Biden administration to secur
Qatar Navigation Q.P.S.C (DSM:QNNS) Third Quarter 2024 ResultsKey Financial Results Revenue: ر.ق697.2m (down 2.7% from 3Q 2023). Net income: ر.ق289.0m (up 3
I was on board Qatar Airways' first flight featuring Elon Musk's Starlink internet.It reached impressively high speeds that l