Mossad, CIA chiefs and Qatar PM ‘discuss hostage deal’
The CIA and Mossad chiefs have met with the Qatari prime minister in Doha to discuss the parameters of a deal for hostage releases and a pause in Hamas-Israel fighting in the Gaza Strip, a source briefed on the meeting has told Reuters.
Mossad chief David Barnea at a ceremony marking Remembrance Day for Israel’s Fallen Soldiers and Victims of Terror at the Western Wall in Jerusalem, May 3, 2022. Photo by Olivier Fitoussi/Flash90
The outcome of the talks held on Thursday was unclear.
Qatar, where several Hamas political leaders are based, has been leading efforts to mediate between Hamas and Israeli officials for the release of hostages taken by terrorists when they rampaged into Israel on October 7, killing 1400 people.
Israel then launched an unrelenting bombardment of Hamas-ruled Gaza and late last month launched an armoured invasion of the enclave, where more than 10,000 people have been killed, 40 per cent of them children, according to Palestinian officials.
David Barnea, head of Israel’s Mossad intelligence service, CIA Director William Burns and Qatari Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman al-Thani held the meeting after Qatari mediators met officials from the Hamas political office on Wednesday night and discussed potential parameters of a deal.
The advantage of the trilateral meeting was to bring all three parties together at one table in real time to speed up the process, the source said.
The talks also included a discussion about allowing humanitarian imports of fuel into Gaza – so far refused by Israel lest, it says, it is diverted to Hamas for fighting purposes.
A source told Reuters on Wednesday the talks touched on a release of 10-15 hostages in exchange for a one- to two-day humanitarian pause in the war that is devastating Gaza.
Qatar’s Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani later on Thursday arrived in the United Arab Emirates capital, Abu Dhabi, where he met with Emirati President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, according to a statement by the Emiri Diwan.
Sheikh Tamim was accompanied by the Qatari prime minister.
The purpose of the visit was not immediately clear.
Unlike Qatar, the UAE has had diplomatic relations with Israel since a US-brokered normalisation agreement in 2020.
Reuters
