Axios reported that negotiations to end the war in Gaza will see CIA Director William Burns and Israeli Mossad Chief David Barnea visiting Cairo today, Saturday. Previously, a U.S. official indicated that President Joe Biden requested on Friday that the leaders of Egypt and Qatar assist in convincing Hamas to agree to a deal with Israel regarding prisoners in Gaza, ahead of upcoming negotiations on this matter in Cairo. For weeks, the U.S., Qatar, and Egypt have been engaged in behind-the-scenes talks aimed at establishing a ceasefire agreement in the Gaza Strip that would allow for the release of Israeli captives in exchange for the release of Palestinian detainees in Israeli prisons.
Additionally, the Associated Press quoted a senior Biden administration official stating that the U.S. president sent messages to Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi and Qatari Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani regarding the prisoner talks, urging them to secure commitments from Hamas to agree to and uphold the deal. The White House announced earlier on Friday that negotiations would take place over the current weekend in Cairo, involving CIA Director William Burns, Mossad Chief David Barnea, Qatari Prime Minister Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani, and Egyptian Intelligence Chief Abbas Kamel.
A senior Biden administration official mentioned that during Biden's phone call with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Thursday, he "clarified that everything must be done to ensure the release of the hostages, including American citizens detained by Hamas for nearly six months." The official added that Biden "sent two messages on Friday to the Egyptian president and the Qatari emir regarding the status of the talks and urged them to secure commitments from Hamas to agree to and uphold the deal."
