Netanyahu sends the head of the Mossad to the “Gaza talks” in Qatar due to pressure from Trump

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Steve Witkoff meets Netanyahu

Egypt Daily News – Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office said in a statement on Saturday that Israel will send a delegation headed by the head of the Mossad to Qatar to continue talks on a possible agreement to release prisoners held in the Gaza Strip.

This came after Steve Witkoff, US President-elect Donald Trump’s envoy to the Middle East, held a meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, today, Saturday, at a time when efforts are continuing to conclude a deal to release prisoners and cease fire in Gaza.

According to sources, Netanyahu decided to continue with the Gaza deal after meeting with the envoys of Joe Biden and Donald Trump, adding that “Trump made clear to Netanyahu through his envoy that he wanted to complete the Gaza deal, and he informed him of the necessity of reaching an agreement before his inauguration” on the 20th. January.

In turn, the “Axios” website confirmed that Trump’s envoy “is currently exerting great pressure to reach a Gaza deal,” and quoted an Israeli official, “Trump’s envoy is exerting pressure on us to reach a Gaza deal before January 20.”

Reuters quoted an Israeli official as confirming that some progress had been made in the indirect talks between Israel and Hamas, which are being mediated by Egypt, Qatar and the United States, aiming to reach an agreement in Gaza.

The mediators are making new efforts to reach a ceasefire agreement in the Strip, and to release the remaining Israelis detained there before Trump takes office on January 20. Qatari Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdul Rahman bin Jassim Al Thani met with Witkoff in Doha yesterday, Friday, where they discussed ceasefire talks in Gaza.

The Qatari Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a brief statement that the two sides reviewed “the latest developments in the situation in the region, especially the efforts aimed at reaching a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip” between Israel and Hamas.

Qatar confirmed at the beginning of this week that talks on reaching a truce in Gaza were continuing “at the technical level.”

On Thursday, outgoing US President Joe Biden spoke of “real progress” in the negotiations. “We are making some real progress,” Biden told reporters at the White House. “I met with the negotiators today.”

He added, “I still hope that we can carry out an exchange (of prisoners). Hamas is the one standing in the way of this exchange currently, but I believe that we may be able to accomplish this. We need to accomplish it.”

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