US envoys work for hostage release deal, scale-down of Israel-Gaza war
- CIA director met with Israeli Mossad chief and Qatari prime minister in Warsaw for hostage deal talks
- Mounting death toll in Gaza has spurred increasing calls for a ceasefire, including among US allies
The head of the CIA jetted to Europe for talks with Israeli and Qatari officials on Monday, sounding out the potential for a deal on a new ceasefire and the release of hostages in Gaza, as the US defence secretary spoke to Israeli military leaders about scaling back major combat operations against Hamas.
Still, there was no sign that a shift in the war was imminent after more than two months of devastating bombardment and fighting.
Fierce battles raged in northern Gaza, where residents said rescuers were searching for the dead and the living under buildings flattened by Israeli strikes.
Pressure is growing, as France, the UK and Germany – some of Israel’s closest allies – joined global calls for a ceasefire over the weekend.
Israeli protesters have demanded the government relaunch talks with Hamas on releasing more hostages after three were mistakenly killed by Israeli troops while waving a white flag.
US officials have repeatedly expressed concern about the large number of civilian deaths in Gaza. But after talks with Israeli officials Monday, US Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin said: “This is Israel’s operation. I’m not here to dictate timelines or terms”.