CIA, Mossad Chiefs to Hold Talks with Qatari, Egyptian Mediators over a Truce with Hamas

By Staff, Agencies

The directors of the Mossad and the CIA will meet Qatar’s prime minister in Europe in the next few days to discuss a temporary ceasefire in the Gaza Strip and a release of captives.

According to “Israeli” reports, CIA director William Burns and Mossad chief David Barnea will meet with Qatari Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al-Thani to discuss the release of the remaining 132 captives.

White House national security spokesman John Kirby told reporters traveling with US President Joe Biden aboard Air Force One on Thursday that Burns “has been… involved in helping us with the hostage deal that was in place and trying to help us pursue another one,” referring specific questions to the CIA.

The CIA, which has a policy of not disclosing the director’s travel, declined to comment on the meeting, first reported by The Washington Post. White House Middle East czar Brett McGurk was in Qatar and Egypt this week for talks on the same subject.

Hamas has insisted that it will release all the “Israeli” captives in Gaza if “Israel” releases all Palestinian prisoners, which “Israel” has rejected outright, and has demanded a permanent ceasefire and the complete withdrawal of “Israeli” forces from Gaza.

Channel 12 on Thursday evening cited a senior “Israeli” official who described the upcoming meeting in Europe as “critical”.

Channel 12 reported that Hamas’s conditions include a 10-14 day pause before it begins releasing hostages; 100 security prisoners released for every “humanitarian” hostage in the first stage of the release; hundreds of security prisoners released for every hostage in subsequent phases; and a withdrawal of all “Israeli” forces from the Strip as part of the deal.