Israel PM Netanyahu orders Mossad to return from Qatar after 'impasse'

Israel on Saturday announced the withdrawal of its Mossad negotiators from Qatar, which is mediating the ongoing talks aimed at securing a renewed ceasefire in the Israel-Hamas conflict, citing a deadlock in the negotiations Netanyahu’s office said in a statement, according to AFP, “Following the impasse in the negotiations and at the direction of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, David Barnea, head of the Mossad, ordered his team in Doha to return to Israel.” A Mossad intelligence services team from Israel engaged in talks with Qatari mediators in Doha on Saturday to discuss a potential halt in the Gaza conflict. The Qatar-mediated talks focused on the potential release of new categories of Israeli hostages other than women and children and the parameters of a truce, which the source said differed to the truce agreement that collapsed on Friday. Both Israel and Hamas had been exploring alternative conditions for hostage release and truce terms before the previous agreement collapsed. The initial truce, which began on November 24, involved Hamas releasing Israeli women and children held captive since October 7. In return, Palestinians, including women, were freed from Israeli prisons. Blame for the truce breakdown has been exchanged between Israel and Hamas. Israel accused Hamas of failing to release all female captives, while a Palestinian official attributed the breakdown to disputes over female Israeli soldiers. The truce, initially set for a week, was extended twice before efforts to secure a third extension proved unsuccessful. With inputs from agencies