U.S. President Joe Biden is sending CIA Director William Burns to Europe to help mediate a cease-fire between Israel and Hamas in the Gaza Strip, according to a report by The Washington Post.
The Post, citing unnamed U.S. officials, said Burns would travel to Europe in the coming days to meet with his Israeli and Egyptian counterparts, as well as Qatari Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani.
The talks would focus on extending the current cease-fire in Gaza, which has been in place since October 7, 2023, and the release of all prisoners held by both sides.
The Post did not specify how long the cease-fire would last, but some media reports have said Israel has offered a 60-day truce in exchange for the release of all prisoners.
White House officials declined to comment on Burns’s travel plans on Thursday, but John Kirby, the White House National Security Council’s strategic communications coordinator, said, “Our discussions to reach a new agreement on the prisoners are ongoing in earnest.”
Also on Thursday, Israeli media reported that Qatar had informed Israel that Hamas had suspended negotiations on a prisoner exchange.
The newspaper said Hamas had told Qatari mediators that it was demanding that Israel withdraw all its forces from the Gaza Strip and cease hostilities from the start of the first phase of the agreement (the prisoner exchange).
The Palestinian Health Ministry in Gaza announced on Friday that the death toll from the Israeli war on the Strip since October 7 has risen to 26,833 killed and 64,487 injured.
