The four-way meeting comes amid growing international pressure for a ceasefire between Israel and the Islamist Hamas movement in the Gaza Strip.
On February 13, CIA Director William Burns, Mossad Director David Barnea and Qatari Prime Minister Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al-Thani met with Egyptian officials in Cairo to “discuss a ceasefire in Gaza.”
Al-Qahera News said the “four-way meeting” came amid growing international pressure for a ceasefire between Israel and the Islamist Hamas movement in the Gaza Strip, where health officials say more than 28,000 Palestinian civilians have been killed.
On the same day, the Kremlin said Russia is ready to support any efforts to free Israeli hostages and achieve a ceasefire in Gaza. The statement was made by Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov when commenting on the negotiations between the US, Israel and Hamas.
Qatar and the United States led negotiations on a ceasefire agreement that lasted until late November 2023, resulting in the release of more than 100 hostages in exchange for the release of more than 200 Palestinians held in Israeli prisons.
Since then, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has come under increasing pressure on multiple fronts, as families of those detained call for a deal to secure the return of their loved ones, while members of his ruling coalition push for an escalation, and key ally the United States criticizes Israel over the rising civilian death toll in Gaza.