Netanyahu to dispatch Mossad delegation to Qatar for hostage negotiations with Hamas
This screen grab taken from a handout video released by the Israeli government press office shows Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu attending a meeting in the command center of the defense ministry in Tel Aviv on October 26, 2024. (AFP Photo)
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is expected to decide soon whether to send a Mossad delegation to Qatar to continue talks with Hamas on a possible hostage exchange and a cease-fire in Gaza, Israeli media reported Saturday.
Israeli media outlet Channel 13 reported that Netanyahu met with top security officials Friday and discussed the matter. He is expected to decide within hours whether to allow Mossad Director David Barnea to travel to Qatar.
The channel said Netanyahu is leaning toward approving the delegation’s trip due to progress in the negotiations.
An unnamed senior Israeli official told the channel that if Netanyahu gives his approval, the delegation could leave as early as Sunday.
Negotiations for a hostage exchange between Israel and Hamas have been mediated by Qatar, Egypt, and the U.S. However, the talks have faced setbacks, with reports suggesting Netanyahu has imposed new conditions or backtracked on earlier agreements.
Israel’s military campaign in Gaza, which began after the Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas attacks, has left more than 46,000 people dead, mostly women and children. Despite a U.N. Security Council resolution calling for an immediate cease-fire, the fighting has continued.
In November 2024, the International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants for Netanyahu and former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, accusing them of war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza. Israel also faces a genocide case at the International Court of Justice.
