From the Liveblog of
Thursday, April 24, 2025
Mossad chief en route to Doha for meeting with Qatari PM on hostage deal efforts
Add ToI as a Preferred Source on GoogleLazar Berman is The Times of Israel's diplomatic reporter
Mossad chief David Barnea has taken off for Qatar, an Israeli source tells The Times of Israel.
According to Walla, he will meet Qatari PM Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani to discuss ongoing efforts to reach a hostage deal in Gaza.
The meeting appears to mark Barnea’s return to involvement in the hostage negotiations after he was replaced as lead negotiator by Strategic Affairs Minister Ron Dermer at Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s orders.
Dermer has been heavily criticized since assuming the role — publicly by hostage families who have accused him of blocking potential deals and privately by other members of Israel’s negotiating team who have reportedly said he doesn’t work with the necessary level of urgency.
No hostages have been released since Dermer took over the helm.
The Times of Israel Community.