Israel to send Mossad chief to Qatar in sign talks on ceasefire-for-hostages deal may be advancing
Israel will send the chief of its Mossad intelligence agency to Qatar to continue talks over a potential ceasefire-for-hostages deal in Gaza, in a possible sign the negotiations may be advancing.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office said Saturday it had directed Mossad chief David Barnea to head a delegation “to depart for Doha to continue advancing a deal for the release of our hostages.”
It did not say when Barnea and his delegation will arrive in Qatar.
The delegation will also include Nitzan Alon, the head of the Israel Defense Forces’ (IDF) hostages unit and Ronen Bar, the head of Israel’s Shin Bet security agency.
An Israeli official told CNN the decision to send Barnea to the Qatari capital was a reflection both of clear progress in the negotiations and of the pressure felt inside the Israeli government to reach a solution
Netanyahu, who met with US President-elect Donald Trump’s Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff on Saturday, is facing pressure from both the current and incoming US administrations to reach a deal.
