TEL AVIV: The director of the Israeli intelligence agency Mossad, David Barnea, is expected to hold discussions with Qatari Prime Minister Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al-Thani in Europe over the weekend, according to a report by Axios.
The meeting aims to explore the possibility of resuming negotiations for the release of Israeli hostages held by Hamas.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu initially prevented Barnea from traveling to Qatar earlier in the week for this purpose. However, Axios has reported that Netanyahu has since reversed this decision, allowing the Mossad chief to engage in talks with Qatari officials.
Israeli Military Kills Three Hostages in Gaza
The development comes after Israel announced on Friday that three hostages—Yotam Haim, Alon Shamriz, and Samer El-Talalqa—were mistakenly killed by Israeli troops during operations in a Gaza City neighborhood.
Netanyahu expressed deep remorse over the incident, referring to it as an “unbearable tragedy,” while the White House described it as a “tragic mistake.” The deaths prompted protests in Tel Aviv, where hundreds of demonstrators gathered at Israel’s Defense Ministry, waving flags and holding placards bearing the faces of hostages still held in Gaza. One of the placards read, “Every day, a hostage dies.”
