Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is considering removing Israel Security Agency (Shin Bet) chief Ronen Bar from the country’s hostage negotiation team and replacing him with another senior Shin Bet official under Israeli Strategic Affairs Minister Ron Dermer, Hebrew media reported on Monday.
This follows reports that Netanyahu may replace Mossad head David Barnea with Dermer to lead the talks.
The Israeli premier has already informed senior officials, including Bar and Barnea, regarding the potential changes, according to Israel’s Channel 12 News.
Barnea would still engage with Qatari and Egyptian mediators under Dermer’s guidance, according to the report.
Netanyahu is scheduled to meet U.S. President Donald Trump at the White House on Tuesday, following what his office described as a “positive and friendly” exchange in Washington, D.C., on Monday with Trump’s Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff.
Following the Witkoff meeting, the Prime Minister’s Office announced that Jerusalem would be sending a delegation to Doha, Qatar this weekend to discuss the future of its ceasefire agreement with Hamas.
While in the Qatari capital, the working delegation is to “discuss technical details” of the deal, according to the Israeli Prime Minister’s Office, as negotiators focus on reaching phase two of the tenuous truce.
