CIA director William Burns meets Israel's Mossad chief in Europe in renewed push to free Gaza hostages
CBSN
Washington and Tel Aviv — CIA Director William Burns is meeting in Poland on Monday with the director of Israel's Mossad intelligence agency, David Barnea, and Qatari Prime Minister Mohammad bin Abdulrahman al Thani in the latest effort to secure the release of dozens of hostages still being held captive in Gaza, according to a U.S. official familiar with the talks. The same group met twice last month, along with Egyptian intelligence officials, in Doha, Qatar.
The latest meeting follows bilateral talks between Barnea and al Thani on Friday, which marked the first attempt by both sides to restart hostage negotiations after a week-long cease-fire between Israel and Hamas collapsed on Dec 1. Burns and Egyptian intelligence leaders were briefed on those talks, according to sources familiar with the matter.
U.S. and Israeli officials have said previous talks stalled because of an impasse over the remaining female hostages, on whose release the Israelis have insisted before considering other categories, including elderly and infirm men. Hamas has claimed the women it continues to hold are IDF soldiers, which the U.S. and Israel have denied.
