Meeting in Warsaw between the head of the Mossad David Barnea, the director of the CIA William J. Burns, and the Prime Minister of Qatar Sheikh Mohammed Al Thani. At the center of the summit was the possibility of renewing negotiations with Hamas for the release of the Israeli hostages in Gaza.
The talks, reports the international press, will be "long, complicated and more difficult than before".
At the moment the Israeli authorities believe that 129 hostages are still in Gaza, but not all are alive, writes the Jerusalem Post. Four prisoners were released before the first truce and one was rescued by Israeli troops.
The bodies of eight hostages were recovered and three were killed by mistake by the IDF soldiers.
The Israel Defense Forces confirmed the deaths of 20 people still held by Hamas, citing new information and findings obtained by troops operating in Gaza. Qatar was a key mediator in the first hostage deal that saw the release of 105 civilians from captivity in Gaza: 81 Israelis, 23 Thai citizens and one Filipino. Israel has released 240 Palestinian detainees, all women and minors.
(Unioneonline/ss)
