Israeli PM Rejects Hostage Exchange Agreement With Hamas

JAKARTA - Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu rejected the possibility of a hostage exchange agreement with Hamas which was initially received positively by Mossad spy agency head David Barnea in a meeting with mediators in Doha, Qatar, according to Israeli media.

Barnea believes deals with Hamas can happen, but Netanyahu rejects the details of the agreement shown to him, reports Channel 12 citing unnamed sources.

According to the channel, the proposed agreement includes the release of 40 Israeli prisoners in exchange for the unconditional return of the northern Gazan population to their homes.

It was also reported that Netanyahu considered the proposal "weak" from an Israeli point of view and ordered preparations for the occupation of Rafah in the southern Gaza Strip.

Meanwhile Israeli Security Cabinet members Benny Gantz and Gadi Eisenkot also supported Barnea's position, but did not prevent Netanyahu from opposing and rejecting the agreement, the media said.

Under the leadership of Barnea, the Israeli delegation flew to Doha on March 18 to discuss the exchange of hostages and the Gaza ceasefire.

Israeli media said negotiations with Hamas officially began with the arrival of a delegation led by the Mossad leadership.

Nitzan Alon, who is in charge of arrests by the Israeli military and missing persons, is a member of the delegation. The talks are expected to last about two weeks, Channel 12.