Ceasefire is also an issue
CIA director meets Hamas for hostage release talks
April 8, 2024, 3:41 a.m
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The war in the Gaza Strip has already been going on for six months, and there is still no end in sight. The USA, Qatar and Egypt act as mediators. Now there is a meeting between Hamas officials, the CIA director and Qatari politicians. The head of the Mossad is also expected.
CIA Director William Burns and a delegation from the Islamist Hamas have arrived in Cairo for indirect talks on a ceasefire in the Gaza war and the possible release of more hostages. This comes from circles at the airport in the Egyptian capital. Burns landed on Saturday evening, and the Hamas delegation arrived on Sunday, led by senior official Chalil al-Haja. The Hamas representatives traveled at the invitation of Egypt.
On Sunday evening, the Qatari Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani also arrived for a visit lasting several hours, according to airport circles. According to Israeli reports, the head of Israel’s foreign intelligence agency Mossad, David Barnea, was also scheduled to arrive following a decision by the War Cabinet. CIA chief Burns spoke with Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi later in the day about efforts to broker a ceasefire in Gaza.
USA pressures Israel to make concessions
A sticking point in the indirect negotiations until recently was the question of whether and how many civilians displaced by fighting would be allowed to return to northern Gaza. According to a report in the Wall Street Journal, the United States is pressing Israel to make new concessions on the issue. As Israel’s most important ally, the USA wants to enable a breakthrough in the negotiations, which have been at an impasse for weeks. Efforts to reach an agreement before the start of the current Muslim fasting month of Ramadan were also unsuccessful. Ramadan is expected to end on Tuesday evening.
The war has been going on for six months this Sunday with no sign of easing or even an end to the fighting. Israel and Hamas have been negotiating for months – but not directly with each other. The USA, Qatar and Egypt are therefore acting as mediators. During a week-long ceasefire at the end of November last year, Hamas released 105 hostages. In return, Israel released 240 Palestinian prisoners from prisons. According to Israeli estimates, almost 100 of the hostages who were kidnapped to Gaza after the Hamas terrorist attack on October 7 are still alive.