Netanyahu implies new Qatar-mediated Hamas talks following hostage deaths
Date
12/17/2023 7:33:58 AM
(MENAFN) On Saturday, Israeli Premier Benjamin Netanyahu seemed to acknowledge that fresh negotiations mediated by Qatar were in progress to secure the release of hostages held by Hamas in Gaza. This followed reports stating that Israel's primary negotiator had met with Qatar's Prime Minister.
During a news conference, Netanyahu avoided directly addressing a meeting that took place on Friday in Europe between his lead negotiator, Mossad head David Barnea, and Qatari Prime Minister sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani. Nevertheless, Netanyahu affirmed that he had issued instructions to the negotiating team.
“We have serious criticisms of Qatar, about which I suppose you will hear in due course, but right now we are trying to complete the recovery of our hostages,” he declared, referring to the gas-rich Gulf state's connections with Hamas and Israel's longstanding adversary, Iran.
Reports about a renewed set of negotiations, initially covered by a U.S.-based news outlet, surfaced following Israel's military announcement that three hostages, who had escaped their captors in Gaza on Friday and approached troops with a white flag, were accidentally killed.
Prime Minister Netanyahu stated that he would not disclose the specifics of the ongoing talks.
“There is one mistake that we can make, which is to relay our calculations to Hamas, to the world,” he stated. “We shall not be getting into the details of the negotiations.”
The Gaza war, initiated by a series of Hamas killings and kidnappings in southern Israel on Oct. 7, has raised concerns among regional and global powers as the civilian casualties among Palestinians continue to rise.
While expressing the intention to dismantle Hamas, Israel has also aimed to secure the release of hostages held by the Iranian-backed Islamist group.
MENAFN17122023000045015839ID1107610579
Legal Disclaimer:
MENAFN provides the information “as is” without warranty of any kind. We do not accept any responsibility or liability for the accuracy, content, images, videos, licenses, completeness, legality, or reliability of the information contained in this article. If you have any complaints or copyright issues related to this article, kindly contact the provider above.