The head of Israeli intelligence is expected to lead ceasefire talks with mediators which resume in Qatar on Sunday in direct response to a new proposal from Hamas, a source close to the talks told Reuters on Saturday.
David Barnea, the head of the Israeli Mossad, Reuters/Amir Cohen
The head of Israeli intelligence is expected to lead ceasefire talks with mediators which resume in Qatar on Sunday in direct response to a new proposal from Hamas, a source close to the talks told Reuters on Saturday.
The talks between Mossad head David Barnea, Qatar’s prime minister and Egyptian officials will focus on remaining gaps between Israel and Hamas including over prisoner releases and humanitarian aid, the source said.
Israel had said on Friday it would be sending a delegation to Doha, but did not spell out when it would do so or who would take part. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was expected to convene the security cabinet before the talks.
Israeli officials were not immediately available to comment on Saturday, the Jewish Sabbath.
Barnea was involved in previous significant pushes for a deal. A short-lived truce in November was agreed and came into effect after his participation in talks in Doha. His last meeting with Qatar's prime minister in January led to a proposal for a temporary ceasefire that Hamas ultimately rejected.
Hamas this week presented a new ceasefire proposal to mediators and Israel's ally the United States that includes the release of Israeli hostages in exchange for freedom for Palestinian prisoners.
Repeated efforts to agree a ceasefire and exchange hostages for prisoners have fallen apart this year, despite mounting international pressure over the human cost of Israel's ground and air assault in Gaza.
The war began on Oct. 7 when Hamas sent fighters into Israel, killing 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and seizing 253 hostages according to Israeli tallies.
Israel's military campaign has killed more than 31,500 Palestinians, about 70% of them women and children, according to the health ministry in Hamas-run Gaza.
Reporting by Andrew Mills
Hezbollah is confident that Iran will insist on Lebanon being included in a deal with the United States, a leading Hezbollah politician said on Friday, as hopes grew for an agreement between Tehran and Washington.
France is hosting a conference Friday bringing together civil society groups and foreign ministers from dozens of countries to push for a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, timed to coincide with the first anniversary of the UN-backed New York Declaration on Palestinian statehood.
Slovenia's government has revoked a 2025 decision banning the export and transit of weapons and military equipment to Israel, as well as most arms imports from the country, the Defence Ministry said on Thursday.
To make this website run properly and to improve your experience, we use cookies. For more detailed information, please check our Cookie Policy.
Necessary cookies enable core functionality. The website cannot function properly without these cookies, and can only be disabled by changing your browser preferences.