They were visited by top US and Israeli intelligence officials on Tuesday. Dohacapital QatarAs part of the intensification of negotiations on extending the humanitarian pause in the Gaza Strip in exchange for the exchange of new Israeli hostages for Palestinian prisoners in Israeli prisons, we confirm Independent Sources familiar with the meeting.

Directors of the CIA William Burnsand Mossad, David Barneyon Tuesday took part in a trilateral meeting in the presence of the Prime Minister of Qatar, who is also the head of Exteriorees, which was also attended by the head of Egypt’s intelligence services, Abbas Kamel. Sources familiar with the meeting insisted to this newspaper that it was about “moving forward on an agreement to extend the humanitarian pause and starting new conversations about the next stage of a possible agreement.” regarding the exchange of adult men and Israeli soldiers.

Exchange of Israeli soldiers

The exchange of soldiers is the most difficult negotiation process. Hamas leaders have repeatedly warned that his release is “another story.” and that he would push for a higher price, given that current estimates indicate that there are about 7,000 Palestinians in Israeli prisons. In 2011, the last exchange involving an Israeli soldier involved one soldier being exchanged for 1,027 Palestinian journalists.

In addition, the Israeli army assured on Tuesday that the Palestinian Islamist movement retains the bodies of three Israeli soldiers in the Gaza Strip who could have been killed in the October 7 attack. It would be sergeants Tomer Yaakov Ahims, Kirill Brodsky and Shaked Dahan.

The four-day humanitarian pause, which began last Friday and allowed the release of 69 Israeli and foreign hostages and 150 Palestinian prisoners without any notable incident, allowed for a two-day extension that ends this Thursday to be added in exchange for their release. 10 Israeli hostages per day. An estimated 160 captives will remain in the hands of Hamas, Islamic Jihad and private residents of Gaza.

In search of a “lasting truce”

Qatar’s Foreign Ministry, which is leading mediation efforts with Egypt, has insisted for days that its goal is to achieve a “lasting truce” between the conflicting parties. “Qatar will work intensively in the next 48 hours to achieve an extension of the humanitarian pause,” Qatari Foreign Ministry spokesman Majed al-Ansari explained at a press conference. This Thursday the US Secretary of State lands in the region Antony Blinken during his third visit since the crisis began in October.

Israeli intelligence is advocating an extension of the pause, which is contingent on “Hamas confirming that more hostages can be released” and the discovery of dozens of people still in its and other groups’ hands. It is also possible that some of the hostages are in the hands of families and individuals in the Gaza Strip.

It was on Tuesday that the Israeli army and Hamas exchanged accusations of violating the current truce in the Gaza Strip after an incident in the north of the enclave that left several Israeli soldiers injured.