Netanyahu sends Israeli delegation to negotiate hostage deal in Doha

Channel 13 cited two sources who said there was ‘cautious progress’ in the hostage deal.

By Vered Weiss, World Israel News

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has approved sending an Israeli delegation to Doha to negotiate a hostage deal.

The decision follows a meeting between Netanyahu and US President-elect Donald Trump’s Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff on Saturday.

In addition, Netanyahu held a situational assessment on the issue of hostages with Defense Minister Israel Katz, Israel’s top security officials, and representatives from the Biden administration and the incoming Trump administration.

Following the meeting, Netanyahu sent Mossad chief David Barnea, Shin Bet director Ron Bar, IDF hostage point man Maj. Gen. (res.) Nitzan Alon, and political advisor Ophir Falk to Doha to negotiate the hostage deal.

Channel 13 cited two sources who said there was “cautious progress” in the hostage deal.

A Hamas source told the Qatari news outlet Al-Araby Al-Jadeed that the proposal was complete and required only Netanyahu’s approval.

Although previously Hamas had demanded a full IDF withdrawal from Gaza before hostages could be released, the current agreement has allowed Israel’s military to remain in Gaza, including the Philadelphi corridor, until the last day of the plan.

Hamas and Egypt have reportedly agreed to postpone the discussion of several issues until later phases of the agreement.

The source told Channel 13 that negotiators were “at the closest point [yet] to completing the agreement.”

Netanyahu had previously insisted that he would not accept a proposal that would force Israel to end the war in Gaza; the current deal on the table requires the IDF to leave the Philadelphi corridor in the final phase.

Arab media reports that Hamas will soon provide a list of living hostages that it is prepared to release.

Foreign sources note that Israel has made significant concessions, including withdrawing a number of troops in the initial “humanitarian” phase of the deal.

al-Araby al-Jadeed reports that this is the “closest” the two sides have gotten to a hostage release agreement.