Cabinet approves delegation to negotiate hostage deal in Paris

The war cabinet gave the green light tonight (Thursday) for an Israeli delegation to set out to negotiate for a hostage deal in Paris. The delegation, leaving tomorrow, will include Mossad director Dedi Barnea, Shin Bet director Ronen Bar, and Maj.-Gen. Nitzan Alon.

The negotiations will also involve CIA William Burns, Qatari Prime Minister Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al Thani, and Egyptian intelligence head Abbas Kamel.

Earlier today, it was reported that Defense Minister Yoav Gallant met with White House Middle East Envoy Brett McGurk. Gallant informed him that Israel would expand the authority of the hostage negotiators, while advancing the expansion of the ground offensive in Gaza.

At their meeting, the two discussed the advancing efforts to secure another deal which would allow the return of hostages to Israel, while Gallant stressed that Israel would increase the military pressure on Hamas until it presented conditions making that possible.

They also discussed the conditions allowing the IDF to dismantle remaining Hamas units in the southern and central Gaza Strip. The Defense Minister stated Israel’s readiness to avoid harming civilians, and to allow humanitarian aid into the Strip to prevent hunger and epidemics.