Posted on 12/12/23
| News Source: i24
According to the Saudi report, the delegations are working on preparing a new formula for a deal to release Israeli hostages being held by Hamas in Gaza
Discrete meetings were taking place between Israeli and Qatari delegations, in an undisclosed European capital, to discuss a new hostage deal with Hamas, a source revealed to the Saudi Arabian Elaph newspaper.
According to the senior diplomatic source, the delegations are working on preparing a new formula for a hostage release deal that includes Israeli women, children, elderly and young civilians, in addition to three senior military officers being held by Hamas after the October 7 massacres.
In return, the source said Israel would release 300 Palestinian prisoners, as well as ten senior prisoners currently serving long sentences, including Marwan Barghouti, a leader in the Fatah movement who was convicted on charges of murder for directing numerous terrorist attacks.
The Israeli delegation reportedly consists of representatives from the Mossad, the Shin Bet internal security agency, the National Security Council, Israel’s military intelligence, and from Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office. According to Elaph, each person was specially recruited for the task based on experience in the field and with close ties to the Qataris.