Qatar, Israel talk Gaza hostage deal in secret Europe meeting - report

Qatar and Israel are holding secret talks in one of the European capitals regarding a potential hostage exchange, as reported on Monday on the Saudi Arabian website Elaph.

A senior diplomatic source revealed that the deal is expected to include children, women, and men, including three senior IDF officers who were captured by Hamas. 

The Saudi report states that Israel has committed to release around 300 Palestinian prisoners in exchange, in addition to ten veteran prisoners serving long sentences, including Marwan Barghouti, the leader of the Fatah movement.

The source mentioned that the Israeli delegation consists of Mossad officers, Shin Bet officers, members of the National Security Council, and a representative from the military intelligence branch.

Negotiations in Europe with Qatar

The Israeli delegation also includes a psychologist and a negotiation expert. Elaph reported that among the delegation members are former Mossad agents who were specially recruited for this mission, with expertise in the field and strong ties to Qatar, including those who maintain commercial relationships with Qatar through foreign companies.

It should be noted that the meetings are taking place in a European capital because previous meetings in Qatar and the recurring visits of the Israeli intelligence chief to Doha have led to significant public criticism in Israel and the government.

The report indicated that the agreement has been reached to keep this negotiation channel open and secret, with the two delegations meeting in different locations each time to obscure and keep the matter away from the spotlight.