Mossad chief leads Israeli delegation in Doha talks for hostage deal
David Barnea and Shin Bet chief Ronen Bar head to Qatar for talks seen by some as the last chance to secure release of hostages
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has dispatched a high-ranking delegation to Doha for talks to secure the release of 115 hostages being held by Hamas in Gaza in exchange for a ceasefire in the war.
The delegation is reportedly being led by Mossad chief David Barnea and Israel Security Agency (Shin Bet) head Ronen Bar.
Negotiations are set to resume with the participation of senior American, Qatari, Egyptian and Israeli officials. Hamas reaffirmed on Wednesday that it will not attend the session, but an official briefed on the talks told Reuters that the terrorist group would be consulted after they conclude.
Hamas kidnapped 251 people during its onslaught of the northwestern Negev on Oct. 7, in which thousands of terrorists followed by Gazan civilians murdered some 1,200 people, wounded thousands more and looted and destroyed property while committing mass atrocities.
It is believed that 111 of the hostages from Oct. 7 remain in Gaza, 39 of whom the IDF has confirmed are deceased. Hamas also holds two mentally ill Israeli civilians who entered the Strip in 2014 and 2015, and the bodies of two IDF soldiers killed in 2014.
White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre stressed on Wednesday the importance of reaching a Gaza ceasefire deal to reduce regional tensions. Her comments echoed those of State Department spokesperson Vedant Patel, who said the previous day that Qatar had assured Washington that it will “work to have Hamas represented” at the talks.
Meanwhile, U.S. President Joe Biden said he expects Iran to hold off attacking Israel if a ceasefire agreement is reached.
Asked by reporters during a visit to New Orleans on Tuesday whether a deal could prevent a promised retaliation for the targeted killing of Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran last month, the president replied, “That’s my expectation.”
Three senior Iranian officials told Reuters on Tuesday that only a ceasefire agreement can prevent an Iranian strike on the Jewish state.
One of the sources, a senior Iranian security official, said the Islamic Republic and its regional terrorist proxies, including Hezbollah in Lebanon, would carry out a direct attack if the Gaza talks fail or if Jerusalem is perceived to be dragging out the negotiations.
Iran, Hamas and Hezbollah have accused Israel of targeting Haniyeh, but Jerusalem has not taken responsibility for the assassination. Separately, Hezbollah has vowed revenge for the killing in Beirut of its top commander Fuad Shukr, which Israel did take credit for.
U.S. presidential envoy Amos Hochstein said in Beirut on Wednesday that he believes that a broader regional war can be averted.
“We continue to believe that a diplomatic resolution is achievable because we continue to believe that no one truly wants a full-scale war between Lebanon and Israel,” Hochstein said.
“We can reach an end to the conflict now, but we understand that we also need to work to an end to the conflict in Gaza,” he added.
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