Ahead of war cabinet meeting, Israeli officials say hostage talks progressing but ‘long road ahead’

Lazar Berman is The Times of Israel's diplomatic reporter

The war cabinet meets at the IDF's Kirya military headquarters in Tel Aviv on January 18, 2024. (Kobi Gideon/GPO)
The war cabinet meets at the IDF's Kirya military headquarters in Tel Aviv on January 18, 2024. (Kobi Gideon/GPO)

Israeli officials do not deny the Sky News report about a potential hostage deal emerging from Paris talks yesterday, but tell The Times of Israel they are being cautious: “There is still a long road ahead,” an official says.

Israel Hayom reports that the Mossad and Shin Bet chiefs told their Qatari, Egyptian and American interlocutors that Israel is willing to be flexible about the length of a ceasefire, the number of prisoners released, and the amount of humanitarian aid let in, but will not under any circumstances agree to end the war.

They are now trying to get Hamas to negotiate the terms of a deal.

The war cabinet is slated to meet tonight at 8 p.m., an Israeli official tells The Times of Israel.

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