Mossad chief approved to proceed with Qatari hostage release proposal

The war cabinet gave approval to Mossad chief David Barnea to proceed with the Qatari proposal to secure the release of the hostages in Gaza, Kan 11 reported on Saturday.

The Jerusalem Post reported earlier this week that the proposal would include the release of 40-50 hostages in exchange for a ceasefire lasting a few weeks.

Both Israel and Hamas had previously not come to an agreement about the proposal, but Hamas reportedly stated that it "agrees in principle" to return to such negotiations.

Kan noted that the move signified a shift in Hamas’s previous position, as the organization used to take the stance that without a permanent ceasefire, no hostages would be released.   

“We have moved from the freezer to the coldest shelf in the refrigerator," an Israeli source told Kan, providing an analogy to depict the complex nature of negotiating with Hamas. 

Further plans for the future

The war cabinet will meet on Sunday to further discuss the hostage deal, according to Kan. 

Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich and National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir will also discuss the issue of how Gaza will be run after the war.

Despite the complexity of this war, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu remains committed to gaining victory over Hamas.

In last week's war cabinet meeting, he stated that although it may take time to win, "We are united and determined to fight until the end."