The Israeli Mossad hosts Qatari intelligence officials to discuss the truce and prisoners exchange
An Israeli security official said on Sunday that the Israeli intelligence service (Mossad) is hosting officials from its Qatari counterpart to consult on the return of hostages held by Hamas and other items in a truce in Gaza brokered by Doha.
The Israeli official added that Qatari intelligence officers arrived in Israel, Saturday, for a visit of unknown duration, adding that cooperation between the two sides is traditionally close, despite the lack of official relations between the two countries.
Qatar’s International Media Office hasn’t yet responded to a request for comment.
Another official briefed on the visit on Saturday that a Qatari delegation went to Israel yesterday to discuss a possible extension of the truce, but it wasn’t clear whether intelligence officials participated in the talks.
The second official said on Sunday that a group of Qataris are still working in Israel to enhance coordination during operations and ensure the operation runs smoothly, with coordination with the operations room in Doha.
Qatar hosts a number of senior Hamas officials and the movement’s political bureau.
Qatar also enjoys friendly relations with Iran, an arch enemy of Israel, which supports Hamas.
For its part, the Israeli army confirmed, on Sunday evening, its readiness to continue the war after the end of the truce in Gaza.
Israeli army spokesman Daniel Hagari said in his daily press conference, “We’ll continue the process of recovering the kidnapped people until the largest number of them are released… Today we announced the killing of 5 Hamas leaders”.
The humanitarian truce, which was reached between Hamas and Israel through Egyptian-Qatari mediation, is scheduled to end on Monday, but there are many reports about its extension.
