The Director of the US Central Intelligence Agency (CIA), William Burns, and his Israeli counterpart, Mossad Chief David Barnea, are scheduled to meet with Qatari officials in Europe over the weekend.
The purpose of the meeting is to facilitate discussions on a potential second deal aimed at securing the release of captives held in Gaza and achieving a pause in hostilities.
Qatari Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani will be part of the discussions, along with Egypt’s intelligence chief Abbas Kamel.
Under the Biden administration, active efforts have been made to secure the release of approximately 130 captives still held by Hamas and other Palestinian armed groups.
The proposed agreement between Israel and Hamas also seeks to achieve the longest cessation of hostilities since the conflict began in October.
The meeting will focus on narrowing the differences between the parties regarding the duration of the truce and the number of captives to be released in exchange for Palestinians detained by Israel.
Qatar, along with Egypt, has been engaged in negotiations to mediate a truce in Gaza and facilitate the entry of humanitarian aid into the besieged enclave.
In a previous instance in November, Qatar played a role in securing a weeklong pause in fighting, resulting in the release of more than 100 captives in exchange for Palestinian prisoners held in Israeli jails.
