(DailyDig.com) – On January 25, sources stated that William Burns, the CIA director, and his Israeli equivalent would soon meet with officials from Qatar to discuss a second possible hostage swap with Gaza and an interruption of hostilities.
The freeing of over 100 hostages who were abducted during the 1,200-mostly civilian onslaught on Israel by Hamas on October 7, which sparked the war in Gaza, has been a priority for President Biden’s administration. A large chasm separates the demands of the two parties, nevertheless.
According to one person, Burns and David Barnea, head of Israel’s spy agency Mossad, will meet with Sheikh Al Thani, Qatar’s foreign minister, on the weekend of January 27 in Europe. The chief of Egypt’s intelligence, Abbas Kamel, will also attend. U.S. media have reported that Burns would meet with Qatari and Israeli officials to discuss a possible truce.
Over a hundred hostages were released in November after meetings between US and Israeli intelligence leaders and officials from Qatar and Egypt helped to negotiate a temporary ceasefire.
According to Palestinian health authorities, around 25,700 Palestinians have been killed, and much of Gaza has been leveled as a result of the bombings by Israel in an effort to eliminate Hamas.
Israeli officials have suggested a two-month truce in hostilities, during which over a hundred captives would be freed in stages, starting with civilian children and women. Then Hamas would release the bodies of hostages who lost their lives as captives of Hamas, as well as the civilian males being held along with the female troops.
The issue regarding whether the gap might be closed arises since that plan is in direct opposition to Hamas’ previous proposal. The source claims that Hamas demanded the freeing of all Israeli inmates, including those involved in their October 7 assault, and an end to the conflict, with assurances from international organizations that the conflict wouldn’t restart.
Like Washington, Israel has always been against a durable truce. Israel rejected Hamas’ demands, according to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s statement on January 21.
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