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Mossad chief David Barnea
Photo: Amir Cohen / REUTERS
Politics in the background: New negotiations on a ceasefire in the Gaza war and the release of more hostages began in Qatar on Monday.
The Israeli TV station N12 reports that the head of the foreign secret service Mossad, David Barnea, met with mediators in the emirate.
The Israeli security cabinet approved the departure of a delegation led by Barneas to the Gulf state late on Sunday evening.
In the capital Doha, mediators Qatar, Egypt and the USA are trying to advance the recently stalled talks on a temporary ceasefire and an exchange of Israeli hostages for Palestinian prisoners.
Hamas recently presented a new proposal to mediators.
In it, Hamas no longer demands that Israel end the war before the first hostages are exchanged for Palestinian prisoners in Israeli prisons.
According to the proposal, the Islamists would make a more than just temporary cessation of hostages by Israel a prerequisite for a second phase of hostage releases.
In doing so, Hamas came closer to the content of a multi-stage plan that the mediators presented several weeks ago and which Israel accepts.
Because Hamas has now made some moves, Israel is ready to take part in the indirect mediation talks in Qatar for the first time in two weeks.
Israel and Hamas do not negotiate directly.
However, Israel continues to speak of the terrorist organization's unrealistic demands.
Israeli television reported that it was expected that the talks could last at least two weeks.
On October 7th last year, terrorists from Hamas and other groups kidnapped around 250 people in a massacre in Israel.
During a ceasefire at the end of November, 105 hostages were released.
According to the Israeli government, around 100 hostages are still alive.
The massacre was the trigger for the war in the Gaza Strip.
dop/dpa