Efforts to Revive Israel-Hamas Negotiations and Secure Hostage Release in Gaza
In a bid to revive negotiations on a deal to halt the Israel-Hamas war and secure the release of hostages held in Gaza, the heads of the CIA and Israel’s Mossad spy agency are expected to hold talks with senior Egyptian and Qatari officials. These negotiations, likely to be held in Cairo, come after Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu rejected Hamas’s demands for an agreement and vowed to press on for “total victory” in the war with the Palestinian militant group.
Despite Netanyahu’s rhetoric, there is still hope for a potential deal. Mossad chief David Barnea’s plan to travel to Egypt indicates that Israel is still open to discussions. A diplomat briefed on the talks stated, “The discussions have been constructive and there’s willingness to compromise. Barnea wouldn’t be going to the talks unless he had the go-ahead.”
Last week, Hamas proposed a four-and-a-half-month ceasefire, during which it would release the remaining hostages in phases in return for Israel freeing 1,500 Palestinian prisoners. Hamas also demanded that Israeli forces pull back from big urban centers in Gaza during the first phase of the truce and withdraw completely from the besieged strip in the second phase. However, Israel has rejected Hamas’s insistence that any hostage deal should end with a permanent ceasefire.
The critical sticking points in the negotiations are still the question of a permanent ceasefire and the withdrawal of Israeli troops from Gaza. Mediators are hopeful that they can secure compromises. US Secretary of State Antony Blinken stated, “We do think it creates space for agreement to be reached and we will work at that relentlessly until we get there.” US President Joe Biden is also pushing hard to broker a truce and the release of hostages.
Barnea and CIA chief Bill Burns have previously held talks with Qatari and Egyptian officials in Paris, where they agreed to a framework deal calling for a six-week pause in hostilities for a hostage-prisoner swap. However, the arrangement did not guarantee a permanent ceasefire.
Hamas is believed to hold about 130 hostages, including the bodies of some who have died. The group killed about 1,200 people and seized 250 people during its October 7 attack. As international pressure mounts on Israel to end its war in Gaza, global concern about Israel’s offensive has intensified. President Biden called Israel’s military response in Gaza “over the top” and emphasized the need for a sustained pause in hostilities to free the hostages.
The release of the hostages could also allow progress on talks for a broader plan to secure a sustained peace agreement. This could potentially include the offer of Saudi Arabia normalizing relations with Israel. As negotiations continue, the world watches anxiously, hoping for a breakthrough that will bring an end to the conflict and secure the release of the hostages in Gaza.