CIA chief William Burns heads to Doha as efforts to contain Israel-Hamas conflict and release hostages continue

CIA Director William Burns will be in Doha, Qatar, on Thursday as part of a multi-country visit to the region, according to a diplomatic source and a U.S. official familiar with the trip. The career diplomat turned spy chief is expected to meet with intelligence counterparts and other officials for discussions on the Gaza conflict, including preventing its spread, and to facilitate hostage negotiations that appear to have stalled in recent weeks.

There is hope that Burns can help jumpstart those efforts, including rekindling the hostage diplomacy that faltered at the end of October. Israel publicly claims that Hamas is not serious about a hostage release, but U.S., Israeli and Qatari officials have been continuing to work behind the scenes with a special focus on dual national civilians. 

The CIA declined to comment on the director's travels as a matter of policy.