Israeli negotiators will restart hostage talks in coming days after Netanyahu authorization

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has authorized an Israeli negotiating delegation to travel to Qatar and Egypt in the coming days for talks on the release of hostages still held in Gaza, according to the Israeli Prime Minister’s Office.

"Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has spoken with the Director of the Mossad and the Director of the ISA, and has approved the next round of talks – in the coming days – in Doha and Cairo, with guidelines for moving forward in the negotiations," the office said on Friday.

The Israel Security Agency (ISA), also known as Shin Bet or Shabak, is Israel’s domestic security agency.

Some background: Israel’s Mossad Director David Barnea and Shin Bet Director Ronen Bar traveled back to Israel last Saturday without a breakthrough in indirect ceasefire-hostage talks with Hamas, mediated by Qatar and Egypt. CIA Director Bill Burns was also in Doha late last week to meet with Israeli, Egyptian and Qatari counterparts. Burns put forward a proposal that was accepted by Israel and sent back to Hamas, according to a source and an Israeli official.

On Tuesday morning, Israel was informed that the proposal was rejected by Hamas, the Israeli official said, and Israel decided to pull back the team of negotiators that had remained in Doha after Burns and Barnea had left Qatar