From the Liveblog of
Saturday, September 7, 2024
In rare joint statement, heads of CIA and MI6 call for hostage-ceasefire deal
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The heads of the American and British foreign intelligence agencies say they are “working ceaselessly” for a ceasefire and hostage deal in Gaza, in a rare joint statement.
CIA Director William Burns and MI6 Chief Richard Moore say their agencies had “exploited our intelligence channels to push hard for restraint and de-escalation.”
In an opinion piece for The Financial Times, the two spymasters say a ceasefire in the Israel-Hamas war “could end the suffering and appalling loss of life of Palestinian civilians and bring home the hostages after 11 months of hellish confinement.”
Burns has been heavily involved in efforts to broker an end to the fighting, traveling to Egypt in August for high-level talks aimed at bringing about a hostage deal and at least a temporary halt to the conflict.
So far there has been no agreement, though United States officials insist a deal is close. US President Joe Biden said recently that “just a couple more issues” remain unresolved. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, however, has said reports of a breakthrough are “exactly inaccurate” and Hamas has been similarly dismissive.
The article is the first joint opinion piece by the heads of the two spy agencies.
The Times of Israel Community.