Middle East Israel sends Mossad chief to Qatar for Gaza negotiations
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has decided to send a delegation to negotiate over the Israeli hostages in the Gaza Strip.
05.07.2024, 01:42
SDA
According to the AFP news agency on Thursday, the head of the Israeli foreign intelligence service Mossad, David Barnea, has set off for the Gulf emirate of Qatar. The day before, the Islamist Palestinian organization Hamas had declared that it had submitted new "ideas" to the mediators on how to end the war in the Gaza Strip.
Following a telephone conversation between Netanyahu and US President Joe Biden, Netanyahu's office stated: "The Prime Minister has informed President Biden of his decision to send a delegation to continue the negotiations to free the hostages."
Netanyahu's office did not provide any information on the time of the delegation's departure or the location of the talks. According to information from negotiating circles, Mossad chief Barnea is meeting the Qatari head of government Mohammed bin Abdulrahman al-Thani in Qatar. The aim of the talks is "to bring the negotiating parties closer to an agreement in the Gaza Strip".
The statement from Netanyahu's office emphasized that Israel was "above all determined to end the war only when all objectives have been achieved". The government has repeatedly made it clear that this includes the liberation of all hostages as well as the destruction of Hamas.
