Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office announced on Thursday the approval of a new Israeli delegation to continue hostage negotiations in Doha, Qatar.
Delegation participants will include members of the Mossad, the Israel Defense Forces and the Shin Bet (Israel Security Agency).
Recent reports about the negotiations state that Hamas has misled mediators, refused to provide lists of hostages and withdrawn from previous agreements.
“It is because of Hamas throwing up obstacles or refusing to move on any of these details that we are still not at a conclusion,” said John Kirby, spokesperson for the U.S. National Security Council, on Dec. 29.
“But we’re very, very close, and so we’re not going to give up,” he continued.
Netanyahu said at a recent closed meeting that “if there is a deal—and I hope there will be—Israel will return to fighting afterward,” Israel’s Channel 12 reported on Monday.
“There’s no reason to obscure or conceal this because resuming fighting is intended to complete the war’s objectives,” the prime minister added.
