In a boost to the peace effort in the Middle East, Mossad chief David Barnea met Qatari Prime Minister Mohammed bin Abdulrahman al-Thani in Doha on Wednesday to discuss the Gaza hostage deal and ceasefire, those familiar with the development said.
Their second meeting in a span of weeks is being hailed as a breakthrough in negotiations, and as a step towards direct talks between Israel and Hamas. The aim is to finalize an agreement before US President-elect Donald Trump&rsquo;s inauguration on January 20 of next year, according to insiders.
While Israel presented Hamas with a &ldquo;revised&rdquo;&nbsp;proposal for a hostage release deal and a Gaza ceasefire&nbsp;last week, it is not significantly different from the one negotiated in August, which failed to materialize.
Hamas, on the other hand, has shown &ldquo;great willingness&rdquo; to compromise, Israeli officials said. Hamas is also reportedly willing to implement a partial deal. Israel says that the focus now is to implement the first phase of the agreement, with some amendments.
Until recently, the thinking in Israel was that Hamas didn&rsquo;t want a deal&mdash;now it seems there&rsquo;s a shift, and Hamas may have changed its mind, local media outlets reported.&nbsp;&nbsp;
The hostage deal and the Gaza ceasefire were also among the topics of discussion a day earlier, when Shin Bet chief Ronen Bar and IDF Chief of Staff Herzi Halevi met Egyptian intelligence chief Hassan Rashad and senior amilitary officials in Cairo.
Those familiar with the issue say the developments are a direct result of pressure from the US. Both the outgoing Biden administration and incoming Trump administration are reportedly pressuring Hamas, Qatar, Egypt, and Israel to reach a deal by January 20.
Trump has publicly emphasized this in an interview with NBC and in a meeting with Judith Raanan, who was abducted by Hamas on October 7 and released two weeks later. 
US National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan is expected to visit the region soon, with plans to meet leaders in Israel, Egypt, and Qatar to stress the importance of concluding and implementing the deal quickly.

Mossad chief David Barnea (left) and Qatari PM Mohammed bin Abdulrahman al-Thani

2nd meeting in weeks comes amid US pressure for ceasefire before Trump’s inauguration

Mossad, Qatar PM Discuss Gaza Hostage Deal in Doha

2nd meeting in weeks comes amid US pressure for ceasefire before Trump’s inauguration

December 12, 2024 | 20:34 IST