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Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has dispatched a top-tier delegation to Qatar in an effort to finalise a hostage-ceasefire deal with the Hamas terror group, his office announced on Saturday night.
The delegation includes Mossad chief David Barnea, Shin Bet director Ron Bar, retired IDF Major General and hostage negotiator Nitzan Alon, and Netanyahu’s political advisor Ophir Falk.
The decision followed a high-level situation assessment meeting chaired by Netanyahu, with Defense Minister Israel Katz, senior Israeli security officials, and representatives from both the Biden administration and the incoming Trump administration also in attendance.
Earlier in the day, Netanyahu met with Trump’s incoming US Mideast envoy, Steve Witkoff, in Jerusalem.
Hamas sources indicated on Saturday that a ceasefire agreement was “completed” and pending Netanyahu’s final approval.
Israeli officials, however, remain cautiously optimistic, with Channel 13 news quoting two sources involved in the negotiations as describing the discussions as showing “general cautious progress.”
The Qatar-hosted talks have been an essential point in efforts to secure the release of hostages and establish a temporary ceasefire amid ongoing tensions.
In other news, Israeli Defense Minister, Israel Katz has accused Hezbollah of failing to comply with the terms of a ceasefire agreement that took effect on November 27, following two months of intense conflict between Israel and Hezbollah.
Katz, speaking after a visit to Israel’s northern military command, warned that continued breaches by Hezbollah could prompt military action.
He stated that Hezbollah had not withdrawn “beyond the Litani River” in southern Lebanon as required by the agreement.
“If this condition is not met, there will be no agreement, and Israel will be forced to act on its own to ensure the safe return of residents of the north to their homes,” Katz stated.
The truce outlines several key terms, including: Hezbollah’s withdrawal north of the Litani River, approximately 30 kilometers (20 miles) from the Israeli border, the dismantling of Hezbollah’s military infrastructure in southern Lebanon, deployment of the Lebanese army alongside UN peacekeepers in the south as Israel gradually withdraws within a 60-day timeframe.
