Mossad Chief holds 'positive' talks with Qatari premier amid hostage release negotiations - report
David Barnea's diplomatic engagement signals renewed effort in resolving hostage crisis as urgency grows
In a significant development aimed at advancing discussions on the release of hostages, the director of Israel's intelligence agency, Mossad, engaged in talks with Qatari Prime Minister Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al-Thani on Friday, diplomatic sources revealed to CNN.
The sources highlighted that the meeting between Mossad Director David Barnea and the Qatari Prime Minister was described as positive.
Notably, Israel and Hamas typically refrain from direct communication, making intermediary negotiations crucial in these discussions.
This meeting followed a previously canceled trip by Barnea to Doha earlier in the week, as directed by the Israeli government. However, despite the setback, the latest encounter between the Mossad director and Qatari official held urgency, particularly after the incident where three Israeli hostages were accidentally killed by the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) in Gaza on Friday.
Amidst these developments, an Israeli official informed CNN on Thursday that the country's war cabinet believed that the current conditions weren't conducive to restarting talks. Despite this stance, both Qatar and the United States have been actively engaged in efforts to reignite negotiations, presenting fresh proposals to secure the release of over 100 hostages held in Gaza.
The recent ceasefire, established last month after an extended period of conflict, marked the first pause in hostilities and involved a swap where predominantly women and children among the Israeli hostages were exchanged for Palestinian prisoners.