Constructive Talks Held on Ceasefire and Hostage Release, Gaps Remain

Tel Aviv: The Israel Prime Minister’s Office confirmed that peace talks focused on achieving a ceasefire and the release of hostages held by Hamas were held in Europe. The four-way meeting involved the United States, Israel, Qatar, and Egypt and was characterized as constructive, according to a statement released by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office on Sunday night.

Participants in the discussions, believed to have taken place in Paris, included Director of the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) William Burns, Mossad intelligence agency head David Barnea, Qatari Prime Minister Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani, and Egyptian intelligence chief Abbas Kamel. Despite the positive outcome, the Prime Minister’s Office acknowledged that there are still gaps to be addressed regarding the terms of the ceasefire and the release of hostages. The statement noted that these issues would be further addressed in the coming week.