Current:Home > MyCIA Director William Burns to travel to Cairo for further hostage talks -Clarity Finance Guides
CIA Director William Burns to travel to Cairo for further hostage talks
View
Date:2025-04-22 00:37:33
CIA Director William Burns is expected to travel to Cairo next Tuesday for further hostage talks after a new set of terms was delivered by Hamas days ago to the Qatari government, multiple sources familiar with the matter confirmed to CBS News.
Qatari Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani will also attend.
While Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu publicly dismissed Hamas' latest counterproposal as "delusional" in a fiery press conference on Wednesday, Secretary of State Antony Blinken later said the response included some nonstarters but also offered "space" for an eventual agreement.
Burns, whom the Biden administration has tapped to lead U.S. efforts on hostage talks, met late last month in Paris with Sheikh Mohammed, as well as with Egyptian intelligence chief Abbas Kamel and David Barnea, the head of Israel's Mossad, to hammer out a proposal involving the release of the roughly 130 hostages still held in Gaza in exchange for lengthier pauses in fighting. Officials from Israel's internal security service, the Shin Bet, also attended that meeting.
It was not immediately clear whether all the same participants will reconvene in Cairo. The CIA declined to comment on Burns' travel.
It will be the fifth round of talks for Burns, who also took part in negotiations with the Mossad chief and the Qatari prime minister in Poland in December, and twice traveled to Doha, Qatar, in November, when the first and only agreement was struck.
That agreement resulted in the release of more than 100 hostages, hundreds of Palestinian prisoners, and a seven-day pause in fighting.
In its latest counter-offer, Hamas outlined a phased release of different categories of hostages in exchange for 45-day pauses in fighting and an eventual withdrawal of Israeli forces from Gaza. The group also demanded the release of Palestinian prisoners from Israeli jails, as well as new influxes of aid and commitments to rebuild Gaza.
The text of the counterproposal was given to the Qatari government roughly an hour before Blinken met on Tuesday with Qatari Amir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, who relayed its contents to the American delegation. At a joint press conference Tuesday, Prime Minister and Foreign Minister of Qatar Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani called the response "generally positive."
Speaking in Washington, President Biden later called it "a little over the top," without elaborating.
- In:
- Qatar
- Hamas
- Israel
veryGood! (8514)
Related
- Head of the Federal Aviation Administration to resign, allowing Trump to pick his successor
- Lawyer for Idaho murders suspect Bryan Kohberger wants trial moved to Boise, citing inflammatory coverage
- Winter Olympics are officially heading back to Salt Lake City in 2034. Everything to know
- NovaBit Trading Center: Approved for listing: A decade in the making, reflecting on the journey of Ethereum ETF #2
- Woman dies after Singapore family of 3 gets into accident in Taiwan
- 10 to watch: Lee Kiefer made US fencing history. Now she chases repeat Olympic gold
- Nebraska governor issues a proclamation for a special session to address property taxes
- Mistrial declared in case of Indiana man accused of fatally shooting five, including pregnant woman
- Rams vs. 49ers highlights: LA wins rainy defensive struggle in key divisional game
- Surprise Yellowstone geyser eruption highlights little known hazard at popular park
Ranking
- Travis Hunter, the 2
- Shipwreck hunters find schooner 131 years after it sank in Lake Michigan with captain's faithful dog
- SSW Management Institute: The Birthplace of Dreams
- Future locations of the Summer, Winter Olympic Games beyond 2024
- McConnell absent from Senate on Thursday as he recovers from fall in Capitol
- Off the Grid: Sally breaks down USA TODAY's daily crossword puzzle, Airline Food
- Judge orders release of Missouri man whose murder conviction was reversed over AG’s objections
- Coco Gauff joins LeBron James as US flag bearers for opening ceremony
Recommendation
Arkansas State Police probe death of woman found after officer
President Joe Biden Speaks Out on Decision to Pass the Torch to Vice President Kamala Harris
House votes to form task force to investigate shooting at Trump rally, recommend legislative fixes
'How dare you invite this criminal': DC crowds blast Netanyahu before address
Newly elected West Virginia lawmaker arrested and accused of making terroristic threats
COVID protocols at Paris Olympic Games: What happens if an athlete tests positive?
Woman dies in West Virginia’s second reported coal mining fatality of 2024
Chloe Chrisley Shares Why Todd and Julie Chrisley Adopting Her Was the “Best Day” of Her Life