According to senior Israeli figures, ongoing discussions with Egypt and Qatar are focused the hostages, with a critical deadline set for the coming Tuesday.
Israel plans to send a delegation next week to Cairo. The team will be led by Mossad Director Dedi Barnea, Shin Bet Head Ronen Bar, and retired Major General Nitzan Alon.
They are set to meet CIA Director Bill Burns, Egyptian Intelligence Director Abbas Kamel, and the Qatari Prime Minister Mohammed bin Abdul Rahman Al-Thani to deliberate on efforts to secure the hostages’ release, as informed by two high-ranking Israelis.
An Israeli official source claimed that the decision to send the heads of the agencies depends on a “change of direction” in the hostage deal talks that Israel optimistically expects to take place.
The significance of this mission is underscored by these officials, who pointed out that the delegation’s departure hinges on the ability of Egypt and Qatar to persuade Hamas to retract its maximalist demands and consent to negotiations grounded on the Paris framework established two weeks prior. “Should there be a shift in stance, we will proceed,” a high-ranking Israeli official stated.
In the backdrop of these preparations, CIA Director Burns and Qatari Prime Minister Mohammed bin Abdul Rahman Al-Thani have confirmed their participation in the meeting, which is scheduled to take place in Cairo on Tuesday.
According to the Wall Street Journal Egypt has attempted to leverage Israel’s planned military operation in Gaza’s Rafah to force Hamas to make a hostage deal within two weeks. It has warned that it will rescind its objection to the Rafah operation unless Hamas reaches a hostage deal with Israel.
In the White House on Thursday night US President Joe Biden spoke about the importance of a hostage deal.
“I’m pushing very hard now to deal with this hostage ceasefire” Biden said, underscoring that he was “working tirelessly… to lead to a sustained pause in the fighting in — the actions taking place in — in the Gaza Strip.”
At issue has been Hamas’ insistence that any deal must include a permanent ceasefire and a full IDF withdrawal from the enclave.
Israel has insisted that the IDF has to complete its military campaign to oust Hamas from Gaza.
