CIA director Bill Burns is expected in Doha to meet with Qatar’s prime minister for “emergency” discussions on mediation in the Israel-Hamas war, a source with knowledge of the talks told AFP Sunday.
The source, requesting anonymity due to the sensitivity of the issue, said Burns was on his way to the Qatari capital for talks with Prime Minister Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al-Thani, whose country has been involved in efforts towards a truce in Gaza and hostage release.
“With no breakthrough in the latest talks between Egypt and Israel in Cairo, CIA director Burns is on his way to Doha for an emergency meeting with Qatar’s prime minister to explore avenues to see if the talks can be brought back on track,” said the source.
Qatar, along with the United States and Egypt, has been involved in months of behind-the-scenes negotiations in efforts secure a cessation of hostilities in the Gaza Strip.
The latest round of talks between mediators and the Palestinian militant group concluded in Cairo on Sunday, while Israel and Hamas publicly traded blame over failure to reach a deal. Qatar, which has hosted Hamas’s political leadership since 2012 with the blessing of the Washington, is also home to the largest US military base in the region.
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