DOHA: Mossad chief David Barnea and CIA head William Burns met Qatari PM Sheikh Mohammed Bin Abdulrahman al-Thani in Doha to discuss the release of more hostages, and preferably all the 93 women including five female soldiers believed to be in Hamas custody even as the humanitarian pause on the fifth day was for some time in danger of unraveling in northern Gaza.
The original ceasefire was from Friday to Monday and was extended for two days till Wednesday. The Mossad chief is believed to have divided the Israeli hostages in five categories elderly, female soldiers, civilians serving in reserves, regular soldiers and bodies.
Further ceasefire extension beyond Wednesday will hinge on whether Hamas can muster the required number of 10 hostages for each day of ceasefire. The hurdle is that the communications blackout and the incessant bombing may have cut off Hamas’ communications with some of the groups that are holding the hostages.
The US Secretary of State, Antony Blinken, will also visit the region after attending a NATO Ministerial in Brussels to press for an extension of the truce and the release of more hostages. He would also discuss efforts to “protect civilian life during Israel’s operations in Gaza” and accelerate the delivery of aid.
On Tuesday, Blinken met Hakan Fidan, Foreign Minister of Turkey, another key player in the conflict, in Brussels to discuss these issues. The ceasefire on the fifth day held despite several Israeli soldiers being lightly hurt in three IED explosions at two locations in northern Gaza Strip besides an exchange of gunfire. Talking about the incident, Hamas said, “Field friction occurred and our mujahideen dealt with this violation.”
Meanwhile, a UN-led aid consortium estimates over 2.34 lakh homes had been damaged in Gaza Strip and 46,000 fully destroyed. The Israeli Defence Force Chief of Staff, Lt Gen Herzi Halevi, said the military was ready “today” to potentially resume the fighting in the Gaza Strip, while also noting reports of intelligence failures that led to the October 7 onslaught being carried out, reported The Haaretz newspaper.
“We are using the days of truce as part of the agreement for strengthening and approving the operational plans for the duration,” he said in a press statement.