Talks on a possible hostage and ceasefire deal in Gaza are expected to resume this weekend, though there is little expectation of a breakthrough before the US presidential election, sources tell CNN.
Top negotiators from the United States, Israel and Qatar are slated to meet in Doha on Sunday to discuss efforts to reach an agreement, the first high-level gathering in more than two months, as US officials have argued for renewed momentum following Israel’s killing of Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar.
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken has been meeting with leaders in the Middle East this week to try and advance the talks and cool regional tensions.
Here’s who Blinken met with:
- Blinken and Qatar’s Emir, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, met on Thursday and discussed reaching a ceasefire in Lebanon. They also talked about how Gaza’s “day after” plan might look like and how to reach a “sustainable and stable situation” in Gaza and the occupied West Bank.
- The top US diplomat said the US was “in close coordination with Israel” to respond to Iran’s missile attack this month “to ensure that any response does not lead to an endless cycle of escalation.” The commander of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps later warned that Israel’s reliance on THAAD, the missile defense system that the US sent to Israel, would not secure victory against potential “reprisal attacks from the resistance front.”
- Blinken will meet with his Jordanian and Emirati counterparts and Lebanon’s caretaker prime minister in London today.
Here’s what else we know about the ceasefire talks:
- Qatari Prime Minister Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani is expected to host a meeting on Sunday with CIA Director Bill Burns and Mossad Director David Barnea, a source said. Israel has confirmed it would send Barnea to attend the meeting.
- A high-level Egyptian security delegation met with “a delegation of Hamas leaders” in Cairo to discuss the situation in Gaza and ways to cool regional tensions, Egyptian state-affiliated Al-Qahera News reported Thursday, citing a high-ranking source. The source said the meeting is part of Egypt’s efforts to restart ceasefire negotiations.
- Hamas has shown no inclination to change its stance on hostage and ceasefire negotiations, and there is little clarity on who now speaks for the militant group.
- The officials are expected to discuss the prospects of a new proposal, along the parameters of what was being discussed over the summer before the talks fell apart.