Mossad chief, Qatari PM meet in Doha to discuss Gaza hostage deal

The meeting is the second between the Mossad chief and al-Thani, following their meeting in Vienna in late November.

By WALLA! DECEMBER 12, 2024 07:33 Updated: DECEMBER 12, 2024 08:11

Illustrative image of Mossad director David Barnea and Qatar's Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Sheikh Mohammed Bin Abdulrahman al-Thani. (photo credit: Canva, FLASH90, REUTERS, REUTERS/Ibraheem Al Omari/Pool)

Mossad chief David Barnea met with Qatari Prime Minister Mohammed bin Abdulrahman al-Thani in Doha on Wednesday to discuss the Gaza hostage deal and the ceasefire negotiations, according to two sources familiar with the details.

Barnea's visit to Qatar is part of efforts to achieve a breakthrough in negotiations for a deal and transition to direct talks between Israel and Hamas to finalize an agreement before US President-elect Donald Trump’s inauguration on January 20 of next year.

Second meeting between Barnea and al-Thani

The meeting is the second between the Mossad chief and al-Thani, following their meeting in Vienna in late November.

Last week, Israel presented Hamas with a revised proposal for a hostage release deal and a Gaza ceasefire. This new, updated proposal, however, is not significantly different from the one negotiated in August, which failed to materialize.

However, Israeli officials indicated the focus is now on implementing the first phase of the agreement with some changes.

The families of hostages held in Gaza hold a silent protest to mark one year since the October 7 attack by Hamas during which their loved ones were taken hostage, in Tel Aviv, Israel, October 7, 2024. (credit: Gonzalo Fuentes/Reuters)

Nevertheless, Hamas has shown greater willingness to compromise and even implement a partial deal, according to Israeli officials.

“Until recently, the thinking in Israel was that Hamas didn’t want a deal—now it seems there’s a shift, and Hamas may have changed its mind,” an Israeli official said.

On Tuesday, Shin Bet chief Ronen Bar and IDF Chief of Staff Herzi Halevi visited Cairo for talks with Egyptian intelligence chief Hassan Rashad and senior military officials. One of the topics discussed was the hostage deal and the Gaza ceasefire.

US pressure

The outgoing Biden administration and incoming Trump administration are pressuring Hamas, Qatar, Egypt, and Israel to reach a deal by January 20. Trump publicly emphasized this in an interview with NBC and in a meeting with Judith Raanan, who was abducted by Hamas on October 7 and released two weeks later.

White House National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan is expected to visit Israel, Egypt, and Qatar in the coming days in a final push to pressure regional leaders to finalize the hostage release deal and Gaza ceasefire.

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Two sources briefed on Sullivan’s trip said he plans to urge Israelis, Qataris, and Egyptians to do what’s necessary to conclude the deal within days and begin implementing it as soon as possible.