Israel to send delegation to Qatar for Hamas hostage talks

Israel's war cabinet approved on Saturday sending negotiators to Qatar to continue talks aimed at securing a ceasefire in the war against Hamas and the return of hostages being held in Gaza, officials and local media said.

The talks began in Paris, where the head of Israel's overseas intelligence service Mossad and his counterpart at the domestic Shin Bet security service met with mediators from the United States, Egypt and Qatar, reports AFP.

National security adviser Tzachi Hanegbi said in a televised interview Saturday evening that the “delegation has returned from Paris -- there is probably room to move towards an agreement”.

Israeli media later reported that the meeting had concluded, with the cabinet agreeing to send a delegation to Qatar in the coming days to continue negotiations on a weeks-long truce involving the release of hostages in exchange for Palestinian prisoners held in Israel.

Pressure has steadily mounted on Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's government to strike a deal to free the hostages, with thousands gathering in Tel Aviv Saturday at what has come to be known as "Hostages Square" to demand swifter action.
Israel's air, land and sea war against Hamas in retaliation for its deadly October 7 attacks on southern Israel has killed at least 29,606 people, the Hamas-run health ministry in Gaza says.

The Hamas attacked rural communities and military posts bordering the Gaza Strip, leaving at least 1,160 people dead. Some 250 hostages were taken, of whom 130 are still in Gaza, although about 30 are thought to be dead, Israel says.