CIA chief to travel to Europe for Gaza talks: US media

CIA Director William Burns to lead crucial talks in Europe for Israel-Hamas truce and release of hostages

The director of the U.S. Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) will meet in Europe with his Israeli and Egyptian counterparts along with the Qatari prime minister to negotiate a truce and hostage release in Israel’s war against Gaza, the U.S. media reported Thursday.

William Burns will make the trip in the next few days, according to The Washington Post and Axios, which did not specify a location for the talks. Both the U.S. intelligence agency and White House declined to confirm the travel.

However White House National Security spokesperson John Kirby recalled that Burns had already been involved in negotiations over a prior hostage agreement at the end of November and indicated that he was participating in efforts for another one. The November hostage-prisoner swap occurred during a weeklong truce under which some 100 people were freed by Hamas in exchange for 240 Palestinian prisoners held in Israel.

Qatar, Egypt and the U.S. are attempting to negotiate a new truce, and U.S. President Joe Biden’s Middle East envoy Brett McGurk is already in the region for talks. According to the media, Israel has offered Hamas a two-month pause in fighting in Gaza in exchange for the release of all hostages. As stated by Israeli authorities, 132 hostages are still being held in the Gaza Strip, 28 of whom are presumed dead.

The war began when Hamas launched its Oct. 7 attack. Vowing to crush Hamas, Israel launched a relentless military campaign that has killed at least 25,900 people in the Palestinian territory, mostly women and children, according to the Gaza health ministry.

Source: Newsroom with AFP

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