The ceasefire is also an issue
CIA director meets with Hamas to negotiate hostage release
April 8, 2024, 3:41 am
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The war in the Gaza Strip has already been going on for six months and is far from over. The US, Qatar and Egypt act as mediators. Now there is a meeting between Hamas officials, the CIA director and Qatari politicians. The head of Mossad is also expected.
CIA Director William Burns and representatives of the Islamist Hamas arrive in Cairo for secret talks on a ceasefire in the Gaza war and the release of more hostages. It comes from airport areas in the Egyptian capital. Burns landed on Saturday evening, and a Hamas delegation led by senior official Salil al-Haja arrived on Sunday. Hamas representatives traveled at the invitation of Egypt.
Qatari Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani also arrived Sunday evening for a several-hour trip, airport sources said. David Barnia, head of Israel's foreign intelligence agency Mossad, was also due to follow the war cabinet's decision, according to Israeli news. CIA Director Burns spoke with Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi about efforts to broker a ceasefire in Gaza.
The US pressures Israel into giving up
A key issue in the indirect negotiations until recently was how many civilians displaced by the fighting would be allowed to return to northern Gaza. According to a report by the Wall Street Journal, the US is pressuring Israel to make new concessions on the issue. As Israel's most important ally, the United States wants to make progress in weeks of deadlocked talks. Efforts to reach an agreement before the start of the current Muslim fasting month of Ramadan have also been unsuccessful. Ramzan is expected to end on Tuesday evening.
The war has been going on for six months this Sunday. Israel and Hamas have been negotiating — but not directly — for months. So the US, Qatar and Egypt act 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, nearly 100 of the hostages taken to Gaza after the Hamas terror attack on October 7 are still alive.
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