Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has agreed to send delegations to Egypt and Qatar, where negotiators have been trying to secure the release of Israeli hostages as part of a possible Gaza ceasefire deal, his office said on Friday.
Netanyahu approved the sending of delegations on behalf of Israeli intelligence agencies Shin Bet and Mossad to advance discussions in Doha and Cairo.
Despite the recent UN Security Council resolution calling for an immediate ceasefire, negotiations between Hamas and Israel have yet to yield significant progress, with both sides trading accusations.
Qatar, acting as a mediator, confirmed that talks regarding truce in Gaza and the release of hostages are ongoing, although details remain scarce.
Qatar said Tuesday that talks between Hamas and Israel on truce and hostage release were continuing, but the warring sides and mediators have offered little information since.
Netanyahu’s office said the premier spoke to Mossad chief David Barnea about the talks, but declined elaborate on whether Barnea would be travelling to Doha or Cairo for the negotiations.
The war began when Hamas launched an unprecedented attack on Israel that resulted in about 1,160 deaths, mostly civilians, according to an AFP tally of Israeli official figures
Israel’s military has waged a retaliatory offensive against Hamas that has killed 32,623 people in Gaza, most of them women and children, according to the Hamas-run territory’s health ministry.
Palestinian militants seized about 250 Israeli and foreign hostages during the October 7 attack on Israel, but dozens were released during a week-long truce in November.
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