Top officials from the CIA and Mossad had a meeting with the Qatari prime minister in Doha to discuss a potential deal for releasing hostages and pausing the Hamas-Israel conflict in Gaza. Qatar, known for mediating in such situations, has been actively involved since the hostage incident on October 7.
The outcome of the talks remains unclear. Qatar, where several Hamas leaders are based, has been working to mediate between Hamas and Israeli officials for the release of hostages taken during the October 7 incident, resulting in significant casualties.
The trilateral meeting included David Barnea from Israel’s Mossad, CIA Director William Burns, and Qatari Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed Bin Abdulrahman al-Thani. They aimed to expedite discussions by bringing all parties together in real time.
Topics included the potential humanitarian import of fuel into Gaza, previously opposed by Israel over concerns of diversion to Hamas for military purposes. Talks on Wednesday touched on the release of 10-15 hostages in exchange for a brief humanitarian pause in the devastating Gaza conflict.
Qatar’s Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani later visited Abu Dhabi to discuss the Gaza situation with UAE President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan. This is notable as the UAE has maintained diplomatic relations with Israel since a 2020 U.S.-brokered normalization agreement.
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