CIA Director to Travel to Israel for Further Ceasefire and Hostage Negotiations

CIA Director William Burns is expected to travel to Israel on Monday to continue ceasefire negotiations between Israel and Hamas, the Associated Press (AP) reported, as Israeli leaders downplay the likelihood of any agreement that could put an end to the conflict.

Burns has repeatedly traveled to the Middle East to help with negotiations between the two sides, working to reach an agreement to release the remaining hostages held by Hamas. He participated in negotiations in Cairo, Egypt, on Saturday, which Hamas described as “in-depth and serious discussions.”

Israeli representatives did not attend Saturday’s meeting, with Defense Minister Yoav Gallant saying that an attack on the Gaza city of Rafah by the Israeli military is in the “very near future.” The Biden administration has repeatedly urged the Israeli government not to invade Rafah without an adequate plan to avoid civilian casualties.

Negotiations have become difficult in recent days, despite earlier progress, after Hamas attacked an Israeli border crossing and Israel announced it would close the Qatari-operated Al Jazeera office in Gaza. Qatar acted as an intermediary between Israel and Hamas during negotiations for months.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu also downplayed the prospects for a deal, calling Hamas’ demands “extreme” and pledging to continue the war against the militant group.

Resistance to an agreement comes at a time when the United Nations warns that hunger has taken hold among more than 2 million people in Gaza. UN leaders have repeatedly warned that the amount of humanitarian aid Israel has allowed into Gaza is far from enough to sustain the population.

Gaza’s vast humanitarian needs put pressure on the search for a ceasefire. The proposal that Egyptian mediators presented to Hamas sets out a three-phase process that would bring an immediate six-week ceasefire and the partial release of Israeli hostages captured on October 7, and would include some type of Israeli withdrawal. The initial phase would last 40 days. Hamas would begin by releasing female civilian hostages in exchange for Palestinian prisoners held by Israel, the AP reported.

An Israeli attack on Sunday on a house in an urban refugee camp near Rafah killed four children, including a baby, and two adults, all from the same family, according to Abu Youssef al-Najjar Hospital.

Another Israeli attack on the Nuseirat refugee camp in central Gaza killed at least five people, according to the Aqsa Martyrs’ Hospital, which received the bodies. The Israeli military said it attacked a Hamas command center in central Gaza. It did not mention victims.

In a fiery speech on Israel’s annual Holocaust Memorial Day, Netanyahu added: “I say to the leaders of the world that no pressure, no decision from any international forum will stop Israel from defending itself.”

The Associated Press contributed.