Israel will participate in negotiations this weekend in Paris with the United States, Qatar, and Egypt regarding a potential agreement for a ceasefire and the release of hostages in Gaza, according to Israeli media.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu deemed Hamas’s offer of a 4-and-a-half-month ceasefire, which would culminate in an Israeli withdrawal, unrealistic two weeks ago during the final ceasefire negotiations.
The Israel war cabinet approved sending negotiators, led by Mossad chief David Barnea, to Paris on Friday to free more than 100 Israeli hostages, Channel 12 television reported on Thursday.
Qatar’s Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani, Egyptian intelligence chief Abbas Kamel, and CIA Director William Burns will attend the Paris meetings.
“We’re focused intensely on trying to get an agreement that results in the release of the remaining hostages and that produces an extended humanitarian ceasefire,” U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken told reporters.
The month-long Islamic fasting period of Ramadan, which commences on March 10, seemed to heighten the sense of urgency surrounding diplomatic efforts.