Top spies lead talks in Paris for Gaza ceasefire

Israel said late on Sunday that the discussions, attended by the heads of its Mossad intelligence agency and Shin Bet security agency, had been ‘constructive’.

Hamada Abu Salima, 59, lives in a tent on the ruins of his house in Rafah that was destroyed by Israeli raids, which killed 10 members of his family. Picture: Getty Images

The head of the CIA and top Egyptian, Qatari and Israeli officials are in Paris working ­towards a ceasefire in Gaza.

French authorities were also in touch with these four countries with the aim of negotiating a halt to hostilities between Israel and the Palestinian militant group Hamas in the besieged territory.

Israel said late on Sunday (Monday AEDT) that the discussions in Paris, attended by the heads of its Mossad intelligence agency and Shin Bet security agency, had been “constructive”.

But “there are still significant gaps which the parties will continue to discuss this week in additional mutual meetings,” Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office said.

A security source on Friday said CIA chief William Burns would meet his counterparts from Israel and Egypt, as well as Qatar’s Prime Minister “in the coming days”.

The source confirmed a report in The Washington Post last week that US President Joe Biden was sending Mr Burns to try to ­negotiate the release of remaining Hamas-held Israeli hostages in exchange for a ceasefire. The New York Times said on Saturday that US-led negotiators were getting closer to an agreement under which Israel would suspend its war in Gaza for about two months in return for the release of more than 100 hostages.

Quoting unidentified US officials, it said negotiators had developed a draft agreement that would be discussed in Paris.

Mr Biden on Friday spoke with Qatar’s emir to discuss efforts to free the hostages, the White House said, but warned “imminent developments” were unlikely.

Qatar is playing a key role in the latest talks after broking a week-long hostage release deal in November.

AFP