The planned trip to Qatar by the head of Israel's foreign intelligence service to resume discussions about a potential second hostage release deal has been called off, as confirmed by a source familiar with the negotiations. Mossad director David Barnea will not be traveling to Doha, where previous talks on the release of hostages held by Hamas militants in Gaza have occurred.
Israel's Channel 13 initially reported on Wednesday that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's war cabinet had decided to cancel the trip, and senior officials would not be going to Qatar to resume negotiations. CNN has contacted the Prime Minister's Office for information on Barnea's canceled trip, as the Mossad reports directly to the Prime Minister.
Approximately 240 individuals, ranging from infants to octogenarians, were seized as hostages during the Hamas attack on Israel on October 7. While some have been released, a significant number are still unaccounted for, believed to be in the custody of Palestinian militant organizations and other groups in Gaza after the temporary truce collapsed last month. The Israeli prime minister's office has reported that 135 hostages are still in Gaza, with 116 confirmed to be alive.
Negotiations have not resumed formally since the breakdown of hostage talks in Doha earlier this month. However, Israel, the United States, and Qatar have been actively exploring ways to revive the discussions, according to multiple sources. "We never stopped," said one source familiar with the talks.
The cancellation of Barneas' trip sparked outrage among families of the Israeli hostages, who demanded answers, expressing their frustration with the indifference and lack of progress. They were shocked by the rejection of the Mossad Director's request for a release agreement and the failure to respond to their request to meet with the Prime Minister and Defense Minister.
People look at photographs of some of those taken hostage by Hamas in Tel Aviv, Israel, on October 18.
Leon Neal/Getty Images/FILE
Hamas not responding to attempts to get hostage negotiations back on track
Barnea has been at the forefront of Israel's hostage negotiations, while CIA Director Bill Burns has been fulfilling a similar role for the US.
It is believed that eight American citizens are among the hostages, and the US has been actively mediating alongside Qatar, who has been leading engagement with Hamas.
The families of the American hostages met with President Joe Biden in Washington on Wednesday. They also visited the CIA to meet with Burns, according to a family member. A US official confirmed the CIA meeting. Additionally, a source familiar with the negotiation efforts informed CNN that Hamas has been unresponsive to recent attempts to restart the hostage talks.
Qatar has proposed new strategies to Hamas in order to secure the release of more hostages from Gaza. This includes the possibility of a deal that would involve the release of both women and men hostages, as reported by a source familiar with the efforts and a senior US official. "Although there are no active negotiations, there is a genuine exploration of ideas to move this process forward," stated the senior US official.
CNNs Tamar Michaelis, Kaitlan Collins, and Katie Bo Lillis contributed reporting.
