A delegation of Mossad and Shin Bet (Israel Security Agency) officials will depart for hostage negotiations in Doha and Cairo in the coming days, the Prime Minister’s Office announced Saturday night.
The delegations have “room to take action” in continuing negotiations, the PMO added, addressing how much authority teams were given.
Some delegation members will depart for Cairo on Sunday, media reported Saturday. The goal is to get a deal agreed on by the end of Ramadan, N12 reported.
Families of hostages gathered Saturday night outside of the Kirya military headquarters, where they called for the replacement of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, saying he is an obstacle to a deal that would free their family members, reports said.
The families said they would continue to protest against Netanyahu until he is no longer prime minister.
Following a meeting between families of the soldiers held hostage by Hamas and Netanyahu on Thursday, the families criticized Netanyahu’s strategy for ensuring their loved ones’ release.
The PMO responded Saturday night to reports that followed last week’s cabinet meeting, saying most of the cabinet ministers were opposed to allowing Palestinians to return to the north of the Gaza Strip as part of the hostage deal, following reports that most were in favor, with Netanyahu one of those opposed.
Israeli officials discuss Gaza deal possibilities
Mossad head David Barnea reportedly told the cabinet that despite the Hamas rejection of a compromise proposed by the US last Saturday, there was still the possibility of achieving a deal, which would rely heavily on allowing Gazans to return to the north of the Strip, according to N12.
Barnea reiterated the need for creative solutions, and this was supported by ministers Benny Gantz, Gadi Eisenkot, and Ron Dermer, while other members took a more lukewarm stance, such as Defense Minister Yoav Gallant and IDF Chief of Staff Herzi Halevi, who believe that now is not the time for flexibility, said the report.
Netanyahu took a hardline approach, disagreeing with Barnea’s more flexible stance, according to N12.
Gantz and Eisenkot clashed with Netanyahu, saying a deal would have progressed if Israel had shown more initiative, according to a KAN report Thursday.
Israel has reportedly agreed to release Palestinian prisoners in return for the bodies of Hadar Goldin and Oron Shaul, slain IDF soldiers whose bodies have been held in Gaza for nearly a decade, KAN reported Saturday.
The prisoners in question are those who were released in the hostage deal that led to the release of Gilad Schalit and were rearrested following involvement in terror attacks, the report said.
Maya Gur-Arieh contributed to this report.