Gaza ceasefire talks, CIA and Mossad chiefs return from Qatar Achi-News

The heads of the American and Israeli intelligence agencies have left Qatar after the latest talks in Qatar regarding the ceasefire in the Gaza war and the release of Israeli hostages. The head of the Mossad intelligence agency, David Birnia, flew back from Qatar late. on Saturday after discussing a ceasefire in Gaza and the release of hostages held by Hamas. The AFP news agency has said this while referring to its sources.

The source told AFP on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the matter that the heads of the CIA and Mossad would “brief their teams in their respective countries on the outcome of the latest round of talks.” The source, who is aware of these discussions, added, “The focus of the discussion was the issue of the ratio of release of Palestinian hostages and prisoners.”

American, Qatari, and Egyptian mediators have been involved in background negotiations on a second ceasefire in the ongoing war between Israel and Hamas in Gaza and the release of Palestinian prisoners in Israeli prisons and hostages held by Hamas. Israel said on Friday that the head of its intelligence agency had arrived in Doha for the second time in a week, where ceasefire talks have resumed.

As a result of the attack of the Palestinian militant organization Hamas on October 7 last year in Israel, around 1160 people were killed, most of them civilians. Hamas attackers took about 250 Israelis and foreigners hostage with them to Gaza. Israel believes 130 of them are still in Gaza, including 33 people believed to have been killed.

Immediately after the October 7 attack, Israel launched military operations against Hamas in the Gaza Strip. Since then, 32,226 Palestinians have been killed as a result of these operations. According to the Gaza Ministry of Health, the majority of those killed were women and children.