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appointed by President Joe Biden

CIA Director Bill Burns was selected by President Joe Biden in Washington.expected to meet

Two sources familiar with the upcoming discussions have revealed that there will be a meeting in Paris on Sunday between the director of Israel’s Mossad intelligence agency, David Barnea, and Qatari Prime Minister Mohammed bin Abdulrahman al Thani. The main topic of discussion will be the latest proposal to secure the release of the remaining hostages being held by Hamas in Gaza.

There are still over 100 hostages remaining, includingsix Israeli-Americans.

Currently, there is no agreement in place. The most recent intricate suggestion needs to undergo evaluation by intelligence leaders and receive approval from political leaders. Brett McGurk, who serves as President Biden’s national security advisor for the Middle East, was in Cairo and Doha, Qatar last week, as well as other locations, working towards this goal.

The speaker stated that they will not engage in negotiations or speculate about potential results while speaking from the podium.

The possibility of a temporary halt in military actions by the Israeli Defense Forces will be considered as part of a potential second agreement, in return for freeing the remaining individuals, including soldiers. Other elements of a potential agreement, such as providing more humanitarian assistance to Gazans and potentially releasing Palestinian prisoners, will also be evaluated.

The White House has yet to provide a statement regarding the specifics of the suggestion, but they did publish transcripts of President Biden’s discussions with Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi and Qatari leader, Amir Sheikh Tamim Bin Hamad Al-Thani on Friday.

The White House stated that their discussion with the emir confirmed the importance of a hostage deal in achieving a sustained ceasefire and ensuring that vital humanitarian aid is delivered to civilians in Gaza who are in need.

Hamas.

The prime minister of Qatar will visit Washington on Monday to continue discussions about the hostages being held in Gaza, the future of the Palestinian population, and other regional issues. This includes the highly volatile situation between Israeli forces and Hamas.Hezbollah militants

Located on the northern boundary of Israel, adjacent to Lebanon.

Qatar is a significant diplomatic ally of the United States, not only for its hosting of U.S. Central Command troops, but also for its role as a mediator in relaying messages to Iran, the Taliban, Hamas, and other groups that the U.S. does not have direct communication with. Recently, some Republican members of Congress have raised concerns about this relationship with Qatar.

The Prime Minister of Israel, Benjamin Netanyahu, is facing political pressure on various fronts, including from the families of hostages. His declared approach has been to use military force against Hamas in order to secure the release of the hostages. However, his decision to send his intelligence chief for negotiations suggests a willingness to consider diplomatic solutions.

The relationship between Israel and Qatar became more strained when recorded conversations were leaked in which Netanyahu criticized Doha’s actions while speaking with families of Israeli hostages.

The Central Intelligence Agency does not provide any information regarding the director’s travels.

conducted negotiations while being held captive

Last month, the Mossad chief and the Qatari prime minister met in Poland.

has killed over 1,200 civilians in their retaliation against Hamas militants on October 7 in southern Israel. The Gaza Health Ministry, run by Hamas, reports that Israel’s ground incursion and airstrikes have resulted in the deaths of over 26,000 people in Gaza. The ministry does not distinguish between civilian and fighter deaths.claims

Around 9,000 members of Hamas were killed and efforts were made to minimize harm to civilians.

During a week-long pause

During the conflict that concluded on December 1st, Hamas released over 100 hostages, including numerous women and children. In return, Israel released approximately 240 Palestinian prisoners.

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Source: cbsnews.com