CIA Director William Burns held talks Monday in Warsaw, Poland, with Israeli intelligence chief David Barnea and Qatari Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani.
Israeli media reported that the aim of the back-channel assembly was to succeed in a brand new hostage-and-prisoner swap cease-fire deal between Israel and Hamas.
The talks come roughly three weeks after the cease-fire in Gaza broke down after Hamas refused to satisfy an Israeli mandate of releasing hostages each day. The Palestinian militant group blamed Israel for the breakdown.
Qatar — the Persian Gulf nation that performs host to Hamas’ political management — was a key mediator within the first cease-fire deal, which noticed Hamas launch 105 civilians it had taken hostage throughout its Oct. 7 terrorist assault on Israel.
Israel launched 240 Palestinians from its prisons below the deal that originally got here to fruition by back-channel talks in Qatar between Mr. Burns, Mr. Barnea and Sheikh Mohammed.
Fighting has surged in Gaza because the deal broke down on Dec. 1.
It was not instantly clear Monday why Mr. Burns, Mr. Barnea and Sheikh Mohammed had met in Warsaw, quite than in Qatar.
Ynet information, an Israeli outlet, cited sources as saying the talks had been anticipated to be “longer, more complex and tougher” than discussions that led to the primary cease-fire deal.
