Mossad Chief Heads to Qatar for Talks, Officials Hopeful

July 5, 2024

by: Itamar Eichner and Liran Tamari ~ Ynetnews

Friday, 5 July 2024 | Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Thursday instructed Mossad [Israeli intelligence agency] Chief David Barnea to travel to Qatar for renewed hostage release talks. The prime minister briefed US President Joe Biden of his decision in a call. The two leaders discussed the possible deal for a cease-fire in Gaza and the release of the Israeli hostages held by Hamas since the massacre of October 7.

Netanyahu’s office said in a statement that the prime minister repeated the principles Israel was committed to, primarily to end the war only after its objectives were met. The White House said Netanyahu thanked the president for his unwavering support of Israel and that Biden repeated his commitment to Israel’s security including in the face of the threat from Hezbollah.

A senior White House official said that the Hamas response to the Israeli proposal for a cease-fire and the return of the hostages moves the process forward and may provide the basis for closing a deal. He said Biden discussed the possibility with Netanyahu during their 30-minute call earlier in the day. Netanyahu decided to send the Mossad chief to the renewed negotiations that were considered to have a better chance for success before the security cabinet convened. “It seems he wants a deal and has been wrongly accused of preventing the release of hostages,” a security official said. “He approved flexibility in Israel’s position six times.”

Posted on July 5, 2024

Source: (Excerpt from an article originally published by Ynetnews on July 4, 2024. Time-related language has been modified to reflect our republication today. See original article at this link.)

Photo Credit: Haim Zach/Government Press Office of Israel/Wikimedia.org

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