US Edition
CIA chief flies to Qatar for Israel-Hamas truce talks
William Burns and David Barnea, the head of Mossad, meet Qatari prime minister for talks about possible extension of timetable
The heads of the CIA and Israeli intelligence have met Qatar’s prime minister in Doha to discuss a possible deal to extend the truce between Israel and Hamas.
William Burns, the CIA director, and David Barnea, the head of Israel’s Mossad, met Sheikh Mohammed Bin Abdulrahman al-Thani, the Qatari prime minister, on Tuesday.
The meeting took place a day after Qatar, which has mediated in talks to free Hamas hostages, announced the two-day extension of an original four-day truce deal in Gaza.
“CIA director Burns and Mossad director Barnea are in Doha for a series of meetings initiated by Qatar’s prime minister to discuss the potential terms of a deal beyond the two-day extension. Egyptian officials are also attending,” a source briefed on the visit told The Telegraph.
The meetings are “to build on the progress of the extended humanitarian pause agreement and to initiate further discussions about the next phase of a potential deal,” another source said. The outcome of the talks was unclear, the source added.
Mr Burns was in Doha “for meetings on the Israel-Hamas conflict including discussions on hostages,” a US official said.
Qatar, where several political leaders of Hamas are based, has been leading negotiations between the Palestinian terror group and Israel.
Mr Burns and Mr Barnea both previously travelled to Doha and met Qatar’s prime minister on Nov 9. A deal was later struck to release some hostages in exchange for a pause in the fighting, which was agreed by the Israeli government last week.
The truce brought the first respite to the Gaza Strip in seven weeks. Israel bombed the territory heavily in response to the Oct 7 attack by Hamas gunmen, who murdered about 1,200 people and took 240 captives.
During the first four days of the truce, Hamas fighters released 50 Israeli women and children who had been taken hostage. In return, Israel released 150 prisoners from its jails, all women and teenagers.
As part of the two-day truce extension, Hamas has agreed to release an additional 10 Israeli women and children each day. So far, there is no indication that it is willing to release any Israeli men or military personnel among those taken captive.
Israel has sworn to destroy Hamas, which rules Gaza. Health authorities in Gaza say Israel’s bombardment of the tiny, densely populated territory has so far killed more than 15,000 people, around 40 per cent of them children.
Dr Sultan Barakat, the acting director of the Global Institute for Strategic Research at Hamad Bin Khalifa University, which is a member of the Qatar Foundation, said: “While the Israeli officials speak to their US and Qatari counterparts, the Hamas leadership in Qatar engages with the Qatari officials and thereafter with the Hamas leadership back home in Gaza.
“There are several obstacles before a ceasefire and peace can be achieved. First is Benjamin Netanyahu’s adamant and impractical insistence of completely obliterating Hamas.
“Despite the enormous destruction and humanitarian catastrophe that has been inflicted on Palestinians in Gaza, the Hamas command and control is largely intact.”