US, Israeli intelligence chiefs to meet Qatar officials to discuss second Gaza hostage deal: Report

US Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) Director William Burns and Israel's Mossad chief David Barnea will meet with Qatari Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani in the coming days for talks on a second potential hostage deal in the Gaza Strip, the news agency Reuters reported on Thursday (Jan 25), citing sources.

A source told Reuters the meeting would take place in Europe this weekend. Egyptian intelligence chief Abbas Kamel will also participate in the meeting, a second source said.

Burns and Barnea had met Qatari officials on November last year, helping to broker a short-lived truce that saw more than 100 hostages freed from Hamas' captivity in exchange for Palestinian prisoners held inIsraeli jails.

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Israel proposes 60-day pause in fighting: Source

Earlier, White House national security spokesperson John Kirby told reporters that Burns had been helping the Biden administration with the hostage "deal that was in place and trying to help us pursue another one."

A third source told Reuters on Thursday that Israel proposed a 60-day pause in the fighting during which more than 100 hostages would be released in phases, beginning withwomen and children. This would be followed by the release of civilian men, female soldiers, and the remains of hostages who died after being abducted by Hamas.

As per the source, Hamas last week proposed an end to the war, international guarantees that it would not start anew, and the release of all detainees held by Israel, including those who participated in its Oct 7, 2023 attack.

'There will be no ceasefire'

Since the conflict began, Israel has opposed a permanent ceasefire in Gaza. On Wednesday, Israeli government spokesperson Ilana Stein appeared to push back against media reports of a possible new mediated deal with Hamas under which fighting would be halted in exchange for a hostage release.

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"Commenting on reported ceasefire agreements, Israel will not give up on the destruction of Hamas, the return of all the hostages, and there will be no security threat from Gaza towards Israel," Stein said.

"There will be no ceasefire. In the past, there were pauses for humanitarian purposes. That agreement was breached by Hamas," she added.

(With inputs from agencies)