Mossad chief expected to meet Qatar PM in Europe for mediatory talks

Tel Aviv, Dec 16 (IANS) Mossad chief David Barnea is expected to meet Qatari Prime Minister Mohammed Bin Abdul Rahman Al Thani in Europe this weekend,to discuss the continued negotiations for a deal to release the hostages held by the Hamas in Gaza.

This will be the first time that a meeting will take place between a senior Israel official and a Qatari official since the collapse of the week-long ceasefire in Gaza on December 1.

The 58-year-old Barnea, who became the Director of Israel's foreign intelligence service on June 2021, was a key negotiator with Qatar earlier which led to the release of 86 Israeli and 24 foreign hostages during the now-collapsed humanitarian pause from November 24-30.

Saturday's development comes just days after it was reported that the Israeli government had cancelled the Mossad chief's planned trip to Qatar for the resumption of talks on a possible second hostage release deal.

Israel’s Channel 13 first reported on Wednesday that the country's war cabinet, led by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, had called off the trip.

It added that senior Israeli officials will not go to Qatar to restart negotiations.

However, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's War Cabinet has now given a go ahead to Barnea's visit following intense pressure from families of the hostages for the return of their loved ones' from Gaza.

Formal negotiations have not resumed since hostage talks that had been taking place in Doha broke down earlier this month.

Around 240 people, from infants to octogenarians, were taken hostage during the Hamas’ attack on Israel on October 7.

Israeli authorities estimate that about 130 people remain captive in Gaza, including and foreign nationals.

On Friday, three hostages who are believed to have eluded their captors were mistakenly shot and killed by Israeli forces, according to Israeli officials.

As a result of the October 7 Hamas attacks, more than 1,200 Israelis and foreign nationals have been killed in Israel, including 36 children.