The director of the CIA, William Burns, and senior officials from Egypt, Qatar and Israel spoke this Sunday in Paris about an eventual agreement for a truce in the Gaza war, according to sources close to the participants in those meetings.
Egypt, Qatar, the United States and Israel also contacted the French authorities, indicated the same sources, in order to move towards an agreement that includes a truce in the fighting and the release of hostages held by the Islamist movement Hamas in the Gaza Strip.
A security source told AFP on Friday that US President Joe Biden sent the CIA director to Paris to hold talks “in the coming days” with his Israeli and Egyptian counterparts, as well as with the Qatari prime minister. These meetings began on Saturday and continued on Sunday.
Biden spoke over the weekend with the emir of Qatar, Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, about “the latest developments in Israel and Gaza”, but the White House assured that no “imminent” announcement was planned.
The war broke out on October 7 with the raid of Hamas Islamist commandos that killed more than 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and kidnapped about 250 in southern Israel.
(Also read: Why is it difficult to achieve the creation of two states after Israel's war in Gaza?)
A hundred were released at the end of November within the framework of a truce, and according to the Israeli authorities, 132 hostages are still held in Palestinian territory, 28 of whom have died.
In response, Israel launched an air and ground offensive that has so far left at least 26,422 dead, mostly women, children and adolescents, according to the Ministry of Health of the Hamas-ruled territory.
The director of Mossad, David Barnea; that of the Shin Bet, Ronen Bar – the two Israeli intelligence agencies -; and Major General Nitzan Alon, appointed commissioner of the Israeli government for the hostage issue, traveled to Paris to meet with the director of the CIA, William Burns; the head of Egyptian intelligence, Abas Kamel; and the Prime Minister of Qatar, Mohamed bin Abderrahman Al Thani, who negotiates on behalf of the Islamist group Hamas.
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In recent weeks, several proposals designed by Qatar, Egypt and the United States, the mediating countries, have been put on the table, but all were rejected. both by Israel and by Hamas, which governs de facto in the Gaza Strip, who still maintain opposing positions that prevent a starting point for negotiations.
Israel does not accept the end of hostilities, only a temporary ceasefire that allows the release of hostages, and then continues with its objective of destroying Hamas; while Hamas demands the complete withdrawal of Israeli troops from the Gaza Strip.
The Israeli newspaper Yedioth Ahronoth, the most read in Israel, reported that the purpose of this Sunday's meeting is to achieve a “starting point” to start talks.
(You can read: Netanyahu, inflexible against 'Palestinian sovereignty' when the war ends)
Israel does and will continue to do everything possible for the immediate release of all those kidnapped
Regarding the agreement discussed in Paris this Sunday, the newspaper New York Times reported a possible first 30-day truce that would allow the release of women and the elderly and injured hostages.
At that time, the parties would negotiate a second phase that would also last 30 days and allow the release of the men and soldiers.
According to the newspaper, the agreement would also include the release of Palestinians held in Israeli prisons.
Asked about this meeting by Efe, the Office of the Prime Minister of Israel limited itself to saying that “Israel does and will continue to do everything possible for the immediate release of all those kidnapped.”
AFP AND EFE
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