According to a statement issued by the office of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Israel has brought back its delegation of negotiators from Qatar after the discussions came to a “dead end.” The country was represented by the members of their intelligence agency, popularly known as Mossad.
The statement read, “Due to the dead end in negotiations, and following instructions from Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Mossad head David Barnea ordered the negotiating team in Doha to return home. The Hamas terror group did not fulfil its obligations under the agreement that included releasing all the women and children that were on the list provided to Hamas that had authorized it.”
The official notification added, “The head of Mossad thanks the head of the CIA, Egypt’s intelligence minister, and the prime minister of Qatar for their partnership and the tremendous mediation efforts that led to the release of 84 women and children from Gaza, in addition to 24 foreign nationals.”
It emphasised, “Upon the resumption of fighting, we emphasize: The Government of Israel is committed to achieving the goals of the war: Releasing the hostages, eliminating Hamas and ensuring that Gaza never again constitutes a threat to the residents of Israel.”
136 people including 20 women, 2 children, and 114 men were still being held captive by terror groups in Gaza when the truce crumbled. 11 of the hostages are over 75 years old. Out of the 125 persons, the bulk is Israeli, 11 are from foreign countries and 8 are from Thailand.
With the assistance of outside mediation including the United States, Egypt and Qatar, Israel and Hamas came to a deal that saw a seven-day ceasefire and the release of Israeli hostages in return for Palestinian inmates. Both sides blamed each other for the breakdown of the truce which had enabled the release of 80 Israeli hostages in exchange for 240 Palestinian prisoners. The ceasefire started on 24 November 24 and was extended twice before coming to an end early on 1st December.
On 7 October, in an unprecedented terrorist attack, Hamas assailants entered Israel across Gaza’s militarised border and killed around 1,200 people as well as abducted about 240 Israelis and foreigners. Israel responded by vowing to destroy Hamas and launched an air and military campaign that, according to the Hamas authorities in control of Gaza has killed over 15,000 Palestinians, the majority of them civilians. Howevre, the figures cannot be independently verified.
