According to the Jerusalem Post, Malcolm Hoenlein, an important Jewish-Jewish community leader, is engaged in secret talks with Qatar to obtain the release of Israeli-held prisoners in Gaza. Hoenlein is close to Israeli Prime Minister Benyamin Netanyahu and in the past had contacts with several Arab leaders.
It would appear that Netanyahu's office is aware of the attempt, but it is not clear whether or not he has given his approval.
In recent weeks, Hoenlein, number two of the Conference of Presidents of American Jewish Organizations, has traveled to Qatar where he was received by Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani. And last week, Prince Mohammed, brother of the Emir, was among the guests of Hoenlein's daughter's wedding in New York.
Hoenlein would be engaged in mediation to get the bodies of two Israeli soldiers dead in Gaza (Hadar Goldin and Oron Shaul) and for the release of two Israeli citizens with mental disorders who have crossed the border by mistake and are from then on held in the Strip (Avera Mengistu and Hisham Abu-Sayid).
A US ally, Qatar is involved in a confrontation with the main Sunni countries in the area that accuse it of supporting Iran. And Israel looks hostile to the support that Doha provides to Hamas in the Gaza Strip.