GAZA STRIP: Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is sending the director of the Mossad foreign intelligence agency to ceasefire negotiations in Qatar, his office said on Saturday, in a sign of progress in talks on the war in Gaza.
It was not immediately clear when David Barnea would travel to Qatar’s capital, Doha, for the latest round of indirect talks between Israel and the Hamas militant group, but there is US pressure for a deal before the presidential inauguration on January 20. Barnea’s presence means high-level Israeli officials who would need to sign off on any agreement are now involved.
Just one brief ceasefire has been achieved in 15 months of war, and that was in the earliest weeks of fighting. The talks mediated by the US, Egypt and Qatar have repeatedly stalled since then.
Under discussion is a phased ceasefire, with Netanyahu signalling he is committed only to the first phase, a partial hostage release in exchange for a weekslong halt in fighting.
Hamas has insisted on a full Israeli troop withdrawal from the largely devastated territory but Netanyahu has insisted on destroying Hamas’ ability to fight in Gaza. On Thursday, Gaza’s Health Ministry said over 46,000 Palestinians have been killed in the war, the majority women and children, though it doesn’t say how many were fighters or civilians.
Also being sent to Qatar are the head of Israel’s Shin Bet internal security agency and military and political advisers. Netanyahu’s office said the decision followed a meeting with his defence minister, security chiefs and negotiators “on behalf of the outgoing and incoming US administrations”.
The office also released a photo showing Netanyahu with President-elect Donald Trump’s incoming special envoy to the Middle East, Steve Witkoff, who was in Qatar this week.
Families of the roughly 100 hostages still held in Gaza after being seized in the October 7, 2023, militant attack that sparked the war are pressing Netanyahu to reach a deal to bring their loved ones home. Israelis rallied again Saturday night in Tel Aviv, with photos of hostages on display.
The recovery of two hostages’ bodies in the past week renewed fears that time is running out. Hamas has said that after months of heavy fighting, it isn’t sure who is alive or dead
“Return with an agreement that ensures the return of all hostages, down to the last one -- the living for rehabilitation and the deceased for proper burial in their homeland,” said a statement by a group representing some hostages’ families.
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said this week a deal is “very close” and he hoped to complete it before handing over diplomacy to the incoming Trump administration. But US officials have expressed similar optimism on several occasions over the past year.
Discussions in the ceasefire talks have focused on the release of hostages, Palestinian prisoners, and Israeli troop withdrawals from Gaza. In recent attacks, Israeli airstrikes killed multiple civilians in Gaza, including a five-year-old girl, and left many others wounded. Israel’s military reported over 17,000 militants killed but provided no evidence. Gaza’s Health Ministry reported at least 32 deaths in 24 hours, while residents, displaced by the conflict, face worsening conditions.