Mossad chief heads to Rome for hostage-ceasefire deal talks

Mossad chief David Barnea at a Memorial Day ceremony at the Western Wall in Jerusalem's Old City, May 12, 2024. (Chaim Goldberg/ Flash90)
Mossad chief David Barnea at a Memorial Day ceremony at the Western Wall in Jerusalem's Old City, May 12, 2024. (Chaim Goldberg/ Flash90)

Mossad chief David Barnea left this morning on a trip to Rome for talks on a potential hostage-ceasefire deal, Hebrew-language media reports.

He is set to meet with CIA director Bill Burns, Qatari Prime Minister Mohammed Bin Abdul Rahman al-Thani, and Egyptian spy chief Abbas Kamel.

Israel relayed a new proposal for a hostage release deal with Hamas to the White House yesterday. But sources cited by Hebrew media said Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s latest demands could thwart the negotiations.

Members of the negotiating team told Hebrew-language media on Friday that Netanyahu was “taking a dangerous bet on hostages’ lives” by toughening Israel’s negotiating stance.

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