Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has approved the dispatch of a delegation to resume negotiations for a Gaza ceasefire with mediators, his office announced today. The exact location for the negotiations has not been disclosed, though previous talks have taken place in Cairo, Doha, and Paris.
Mossad chief David Barnea traveled to Doha earlier today to meet with Qatari Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al-Thani, Israeli officials confirmed to the Kan public broadcaster. Barnea is attending the meeting alone, without Shin Bet head Ronen Bar and prominent negotiating team member Nitzan Alon.
Netanyahu’s decision follows a phone call with U.S. President Joe Biden on Thursday. “The prime minister informed President Biden about his decision to send a delegation to continue negotiations for the release of hostages,” Netanyahu’s office stated in a press release.
An anonymous source from the Israeli negotiating team expressed optimism about reaching a deal, citing a revised proposal by Hamas. “The proposal presented by Hamas represents a significant breakthrough,” the source told Reuters.
An Israeli official confirmed that Barnea will lead the negotiations team.
Hamas Proposal
The White House indicated that Biden and Netanyahu discussed Hamas’ response to potential terms of a deal during their phone conversation. “The president welcomed the prime minister’s decision to authorize his negotiators to engage with U.S., Qatari, and Egyptian mediators in an effort to close out the deal,” the White House said in a statement.
However, Netanyahu reiterated that Tel Aviv will not end the conflict until all objectives are achieved. Hamas has insisted that any ceasefire agreement must include an end to hostilities, a complete withdrawal of Israeli troops from Gaza, and the return of displaced Palestinians to their original residences.
The war, now in its ninth month, has faced limited objections and weak reservations from most Western nations. According to Gaza’s health ministry, the conflict has resulted in 38,011 Palestinian deaths and 87,445 injuries.
In May, Biden outlined a three-phase ceasefire proposal involving a gradual and complete withdrawal of Israeli troops from Gaza, a prisoner exchange, and a “permanent cessation of hostilities.”
