The Israeli Army Radio reported that a proposal will soon be presented to the government to return all prisoners from Gaza, including soldiers, in exchange for stopping the war.
According to media reports citing informed sources, CIA Director William Burns arrived in Qatar on Tuesday to discuss the possibilities of reaching an expanded deal between Hamas and Israel.
The Washington Post reported that Burns is seeking to pressure both sides to expand their negotiations on the exchange of prisoners to include the release of civilians and soldiers after being limited to women and children.
The Wall Street Journal also quoted an American official as saying that the CIA director is also discussing the continuation of the release of prisoners and other aspects of the conflict in Gaza.
It added that Burns’ arrival in Qatar on Tuesday showcases the difficulty of the talks, and also implies that the Director of the Mossad (Israel’s Institute for Intelligence and Special Operations) David Barnea, is participating in the meeting.
Similarly, Reuters quoted a source as saying that the CIA director and the Mossad director are meeting with the Qatari Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani in Doha to “build on the progress” achieved in extending the truce between Israel and Hamas for 48 hours.
“Egyptian officials are also taking part in the Doha meeting, which is also discussing the next stage of a possible agreement, according to what the agency reported,” the source added.
Edited translation from Al-Masry Al-Youm
