The head of the Mossad David Barnea arrived in Paris today to participate in separate meetings with delegations from United States, Qatar ed Egypt to discuss a possible agreement for the release of hostages in Gaza. Confirmation from three sources cited by Haaretz. Among the participants in the meetings are the director of the CIA Bill Burns, the Prime Minister of Qatar Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani and the head of Egyptian intelligence Abbas Kamel. During the negotiations, the possibility of a two-month pause in the war in exchange for the release of over 100 hostages is discussed.
During the negotiations, there is discussion about the possibility of a two-month pause in the war in exchange for the release of over 100 hostages. However, Israeli sources reported by Channel 12 stressed that the main obstacle to an agreement is Hamas' demand for Israel to end the conflict and withdraw completely from the Gaza Strip, leaving Hamas in power in the Palestinian enclave.
US negotiators are nearing a deal that could see Israel suspend the war on Gaza for about two months in exchange for the release of the hostages, the New York Times reported. It is expected that this agreement could be signed in the next two weeks, with a draft agreement bringing together the proposals of Israel and Hamas in an agreement in principle.
While major disagreements remain to be resolved, negotiators are cautiously optimistic that a final agreement can be reached, according to sources contacted by The New York Times.
In addition to the negotiations, other significant developments include Abu Mazen's presidency's condemnation of allegations against UNRWA and France's decision to suspend funding to the agency following allegations that its personnel were involved in the Hamas attack in Last October 7th. Additionally, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said that 12 UNRWA employees in Gaza are implicated in extremely serious allegations of terrorist acts, raising concerns about the accountability and integrity of international organizations in the context of the ongoing conflict.
Subscribe to our newsletter!