Mediated negotiations between Israel and Hamas are set to resume next week, according to an official familiar with the matter.
The decision to restart the talks was made following a meeting between the head of Israel's Mossad intelligence agency, the head of the CIA, and the prime minister of Qatar, who has been acting as a mediator. The source, speaking on condition of anonymity due to the sensitivity of the issue, revealed that new proposals will form the basis of the upcoming negotiations, led by the mediators Egypt and Qatar, with active US involvement.
Efforts to secure the release of over 120 hostages taken during Hamas's October 7 assault on southern Israel within the context of a ceasefire agreement have so far been unsuccessful. Both sides have attributed the impasse to each other, with Israel citing its inability to agree to Hamas's demand for an end to the conflict, while the Palestinians seek the release of Palestinian prisoners held by Israel. Israel has expressed its aim to dismantle Hamas, which governs Gaza.
