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full screen Friends and relatives of the Israelis held hostage in Gaza demonstrated on Saturday in Tel Aviv demanding their release. An Israeli delegation is going to Qatar in the next few days to continue negotiations on a ceasefire and the release of the hostages. Photo: Ohad Zwigenberg/Ap/TT
Israel is to send negotiators to Qatar for further talks on a pause in the fighting in the war against Hamas and the release of hostages held in Gaza, local media reported, among other things. The decision was made in Israel’s war cabinet.
The talks began in Paris with mediators from the US, Egypt and Qatar. National Security Adviser Tzachi Hanegbi said in a televised interview on Saturday night that the Israeli delegation had returned from Paris and that “there is probably room to move towards an agreement”.
Hanegbi said shortly before the cabinet meeting that the returning delegation asked to meet the war cabinet to “update us on the results of the Paris meeting.”
Israeli media reported that the meeting ended with the War Cabinet agreeing to send a delegation to Qatar. It is due sometime in the next few days to continue negotiations for a week-long ceasefire and the release of hostages in exchange for Palestinians held in Israeli prisons.