Mossad, CIA chiefs to meet Qatari PM for talks on new hostage swap deal with Hamas

Israeli Mossad chief David Barnea and CIA Director William Burns are scheduled to meet with Qatari Prime Minister Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al-Thani for talks on a new hostage swap deal with Hamas, Israeli media reported on Monday.

The three officials will meet in the Polish capital, Warsaw, to discuss a number of possible outlines for negotiations on a new deal to free Israeli hostages held by Hamas, Israeli Channel 12 reported.

Mediators have discussed ideas for a new swap deal with Hamas in recent days, the broadcaster said, without providing any further details.

The meeting comes as Israel's war cabinet is set to convene later Monday.

On Sunday, senior Hamas member Khalil al-Haya ruled out a new hostage swap deal with Israel until Tel Aviv halts its offensive on the Gaza Strip.

Under a previous swap deal, 84 Israelis and 24 foreigners were released by Hamas in exchange for 240 Palestinians from Israeli jails, including 71 women and 169 children.

Israel's air and ground attacks on the Gaza Strip since the Oct. 7 attack by Hamas have killed more than 18,800 Palestinians, mostly women and children, according to health authorities in the enclave.

The war has left Gaza in ruins with half of the coastal territory's housing stock damaged or destroyed, and nearly 2 million people displaced within the densely-populated enclave amid shortages of food and clean water.

Nearly 1,200 Israelis are believed to have been killed in the Hamas attack, while more than 130 hostages remain in captivity.