CIA Director to meet with Qatari and Israeli officials in Cairo
It has been reported that CIA Director Bill Burns is expected to travel to Cairo to meet with high-level officials from Qatar, Egypt, and Israel to discuss the prisoner exchange between Israel and Hamas.
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According to a report by the US-based news site "Axios," citing sources familiar with the matter, CIA Director Burns' visit to the Egyptian capital, Cairo, is expected to take place this weekend.
The report noted that during his visit to Cairo, Burns is set to meet with Qatari Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani, Director of the Israeli foreign intelligence agency Mossad David Barnea, and Egyptian Intelligence Chief Abbas Kamel.
While it is stated that the proposed prisoner exchange deal could lead to a "6-week ceasefire" in Gaza, it is estimated that a total of 40 Israeli hostages—including female soldiers, women, men over the age of 50, and those in critical health—could be released in exchange for 700 Palestinians.
Hamas Political Bureau member Osama Hamdan stated in a press conference yesterday, "Israel rejects the demands of the people and the resistance forces for a 'complete cessation of attacks, withdrawal of soldiers from Gaza, the return of displaced persons, or a genuine prisoner exchange.' So far, no progress has been made in the negotiations; on the contrary, despite all our efforts, they continue to remain at a standstill."
CEASEFIRE, PRISONER EXCHANGE, AND INDIRECT NEGOTIATIONS BETWEEN HAMAS AND ISRAEL
An Israeli delegation led by Mossad Chief Barnea traveled to the Qatari capital, Doha, on March 19 for a new round of negotiations regarding the release of hostages.
The Israeli press announced that with the arrival of the delegation led by the Mossad Chief in Doha, prisoner exchange negotiations between Hamas and Tel Aviv had officially begun.
It was noted that the Israeli delegation also included Ronen Bar, Director of the Internal Security Agency Shin Bet (Shabak), and Nitzan Alon, the official in charge of the file for kidnapped and missing persons in the Israeli army.
The newspaper Haaretz had claimed that Israel would conduct negotiations regarding a ceasefire and prisoner exchange directly with Hamas's leader in Gaza, Yahya Sinwar, without intermediaries.
A report by Israel's Channel 12 television had noted that the negotiations could last approximately two weeks.
Reports in the Israeli press indicated that Mossad Chief Barnea, who headed the Tel Aviv delegation, returned to his country on the same day.