Israel-Gaza war: CIA, Mossad chiefs leave Qatar following truce talks, says source
- US intelligence chief Bill Burns and his Israeli counterpart David Barnea ‘departed Doha to brief their respective teams back home’
- US, Qatari and Egyptian mediators have been engaged in weeks of behind-the-scenes talks in efforts to secure a second truce in the war between Israel and Hamas
US intelligence chief Bill Burns and his Israeli counterpart David Barnea left Qatar late on Saturday following talks on a Gaza truce and hostage release deal, a source briefed on the talks told Agence France-Presse.
The CIA and Mossad chiefs “departed Doha to brief their respective teams back home on the latest round” of talks, the source said on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the discussions.
“The talks focused on details and a ratio for the exchange of hostages and prisoners”, the knowledgeable source added, explaining that “technical teams remain in Doha”.
US, Qatari and Egyptian mediators have been engaged in weeks of behind-the-scenes talks in efforts to secure a second truce in the war between Israel and Hamas and the release of captives in exchange for Palestinian prisoners being held in Israeli jails.
Israel had said on Friday that the head of its spy agency was to return to Doha for his second trip in a week after talks were restarted following failed efforts to secure a truce before the Muslim holy month of Ramadan, which began last week.
The war began when Hamas launched an unprecedented attack from Gaza in October that left about 1,160 dead in Israel, mostly civilians, according to an AFP tally of official figures.
