‘Time to face reality’ – Hostage deal unlikely to be reached, says Mossad director

David Barnea, the head of Israel’s Mossad and the top Israeli negotiator in hostage talks with Hamas, tells families of Israeli captives held in Gaza that the prospects of reaching a deal with the terrorist group are not encouraging.

By World Israel News Staff

Israel will in all likelihood be unable to reach a hostage deal with the Hamas terrorist organization a senior Israeli intelligence official and head of Israel’s negotiating team told the families of captives still held in the Gaza Strip, according to a Hebrew-language report Monday morning.

Israel’s Channel 12 reported that Mossad Director David Barnea, who has headed up Israel’s negotiating team in Doha, Qatar, met several days ago with relatives of Israeli captives still held in the Gaza Strip to update them on the efforts to secure the release of their loved ones.

According to the report, Barnea attempted to lower expectations, telling the relatives that while hostage talks have been renewed in Doha following the killing of Hamas politburo chief Yahya Sinwar, he believes that the chances of ever achieving an agreement with Hamas are low.

“What’s going on with the deal at the moment?” the relative of a hostage asked Barnea recently.

“I still haven’t gotten an official answer from the mediator, not to the Qatari proposal, nor to the Egyptian proposal, and therefore it pays to wait,” Barnea responded.

“At the moment, the chances for a small deal are low, Hamas is insisting on ending the war.”

Barnea emphasized that the Israeli team negotiating in Doha had no received permission from the government to entertain proposals to end the war against Hamas nor to surrender control of the Philadelphi Corridor along the Egyptian – Gaza border, though alternative arrangements for the strategic area could be considered.

The Channel 12 report also quoted a senior defense official who said that even after the elimination of Sinwar – considered among the most hawkish members of the terror organization – Hamas is unlikely to soften its demands for an end to the war and a full Israeli withdrawal from Gaza, both of which Israel has already rejected.

“The time has come to face the reality. If you want to achieve the goal of returning the hostages, you have to close up shop in Gaza and work for a framework that will ensure the State of Israel’s security interests in the future.”