Israel not sending Mossad chief to Qatar for new hostage deal with Hamas

ERBIL, Iraq (AA) – The war cabinet in Israel refused to send the intelligence chief to Qatar for a prisoner exchange agreement with Hamas, saying they would wait for a signal from Hamas, according to Israeli media.

In a report by Channel 13, it was revealed that the war cabinet is facing disagreements regarding ongoing efforts to reach a new understanding with Hamas on a prisoner exchange.

According to the report, the cabinet opposed the recent proposal to send Mossad chief David Barnea to Qatar to advance the negotiations.

Benny Gantz, a member of the war cabinet, was in favor of Israel taking the initiative in negotiating the exchange. However, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Yoav Gallant believe that Israel should await signals from Hamas.

The new prisoner exchange deal would be carried out within the framework of a humanitarian truce and include women still in captivity, patients, and the wounded and elderly people, said Israel’s Channel 12.

The channel quoted a military source as saying that the intensity of fighting has begun to open a path for a possible prisoner swap that must not be missed.

During the weeklong suspension of Israel’s war in Gaza, a prisoner swap took place under Qatari, Egyptian, and US mediation which resulted in the release of 84 Israelis and 24 foreigners in exchange for release of 240 Palestinians from Israeli jails, 71 women and 169 children.

Israel has killed at least 18,787 Palestinians and injured 50,897 others in Gaza since October 7 after an attack by Hamas.

Nearly 1,200 Israelis are believed to have been killed in the Hamas attack, while around 139 are held by the resistance group.