Mossad chief to meet Qatar PM in Norway for renewed hostage talks — report

Mossad chief David Barnea is set to meet with Qatari PM Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani later today in Norway for talks aimed at finding a new hostage deal, The Wall Street Journal reports.

The report comes after Barnea met with Israeli defense chiefs earlier in the day to discuss efforts to free the hostages in the wake of the accidental killing of three of the captives by the IDF in Gaza.

Qatar was a key mediator in the first hostage deal that saw 105 civilians released from Hamas captivity in Gaza: 81 Israelis, 23 Thai nationals and one Filipino. Israel released 240 Palestinian security prisoners, all women and minors.

It is believed that 129 hostages remain in Gaza — not all of them alive. Four hostages were released prior to the first truce, and one was rescued by troops. The bodies of eight hostages have also been recovered and three hostages were mistakenly killed by the military. The Israel Defense Forces has confirmed the deaths of 20 of those still held by Hamas, citing new intelligence and findings obtained by troops operating in Gaza.