Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu spoke by phone with former President Donald Trump on Wednesday to discuss the hostage release and ceasefire deal negotiations, according to a report by Axios.
The content of their conversation was not disclosed, however, and there was no immediate response to a Reuters request for comment from the Trump campaign.
Trump is running as the Republican presidential candidate for a return to the White House in the upcoming November elections.
The former president met with Israel’s prime minister last month during Netanyahu’s visit to the US to address a joint session of Congress for the fourth time in his career, the only foreign leader to be so privileged. During that visit, Netanyahu met with President Joe Biden at the White House, and with Vice President and Democratic presidential candidate Kamala Harris as well.
Netanyahu approved the departure of the full Israeli delegation to the talks in Doha, Qatar along with the mandate for conducting the negotiations, his office said Wednesday.
Israel’s delegation, led by Mossad director David Barnea, includes Shin Bet chief Ronen Bar as well as IDF Abductee HQ head Major General Nitzan Alon and Netanyahu’s political adviser, Ofir Fleck. The latter three participants were added at the last minute.
Intelligence personnel have determined that just 33 of the 115 hostages who remain captive in Gaza — women, children, elderly and ill — are still among the living. Israel is demanding they all be released immediately as part of the deal with Hamas.
That, however, is deeply unlikely to pass muster with the terrorists since at least some are likely to be held back as “life insurance” for the group’s new “absolute leader,” Yahya Sinwar, who remains in hiding underground.
Qatari Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdel-Rahman Al-Thani, Egyptian Intelligence chief Abbas Kamal and CIA director Bill Burns are attending the talks.
However, Hamas — the key participation upon whom the ultimate outcome of the negotiations depends — is not attending, although representatives of the terror group will reportedly meet with the negotiators following the discussions. A number of the terrorist group’s leaders still reside in luxury and comfort in the Qatari capital.
Hamas leader Mahmoud Mardawi told the Qatari-owned Al Jazeera news outlet on Wednesday ahead of the talks that the terror group is not willing to budge on its insistence that all Israeli forces withdraw from Gaza, including from the Netzarim and Philadelphi Corridors — a non-starter for Israel.
Lebanon-based Hamas leader Ghazi Hamdan months ago told an interviewer that given the opportunity, Hamas will repeat the October 7th massacre “again and again” until Israel is annihilated.
“The existence of Israel is illogical,” Hamdan told the interviewer. “The existence of Israel is what causes all that pain, blood, and tears. It is Israel, not us. We are the victims of the occupation. Period. Therefore, nobody should blame us for the things we do. On October 7, October 10, October 1,000,000 – everything we do is justified,” he emphasized.
Hamas Official: Prepared to Repeat October 7 Operation ‘Until Israel is Annihilated’
Little has changed since that interview. Speaking to the Hezbollah-linked Al Manar news outlet in Lebanon earlier this week, senior Hamas leader OSama Hamdan said the group’s position is clear.
“There is a document we have agreed on, and we are waiting for the announcement of implementation mechanisms, including the cessation of aggression, its withdrawal, aiding the Strip, and launching reconstruction,” Hamdan said.
“We are firm in our stance that the ceasefire, withdrawal of the occupation, relief, reconstruction, and complete prisoner exchange must occur.”
Given the terror group’s intransigence, the inability of its “absolute leader” Yahya Sinwar to actively participate in the talks and the enduring Hamas fantasy of an Israeli surrender and a return to ruling Gaza, the Doha talks are unlikely to accomplish little more than placating the Biden Administration and the despairing families of the hostages.
