Cairo hostage negotiations show progress, despite tepid atmosphere - report

According to senior officials familiar with the deal's negotiations, a significant negotiation meeting held in Cairo led to progress in the parameters related to the Philadelphi Corridor and the Rafah crossing.

The Egyptian mediator, Intelligence Minister Abbas Kamel, hosted an Israeli delegation led by Mossad head David Barnea, Shin Bet head Ronen Bar, and the coordinator of operations in the territories, Major-General Rasan Alianis. All of them are significant factors in advancing the negotiations. 

They arrived in Egypt on Saturday.

The delegation's departure to Egypt is the result of heavy US pressure on Israel and Egypt in recent days to continue negotiations on the hostage deal and on security issues related to it - even after the assassination of Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh, Walla reported.

US also involved in recent talks

President Biden's top diplomat, Brett McGurk, also met in Cairo on Thursday with the Egyptian intelligence chief and other officials and convinced them to hold the meeting.

Additionally, McGurk asked Barnea and Bar to come to Cairo despite Hamas's refusal to accept Netanyahu's new conditions for the hostage deal.

Nitzan Alon, the IDF official overseeing the issue of captives, did not join the trip with the head of the Mossad and the head of the Shin Bet.

A source privy to the details said that the reason for this is due to Netanyahu's position that talks cannot lead to real progress.