.jpg "Barnea (1)")
Israel, Hamas, the US, and Qatar have officially signed the hostage deal and Gaza ceasefire in Doha, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's Office confirmed on Friday morning. The deal will now be presented before the security cabinet for a vote, which, however, will not occur until Saturday.
The deal was hailed by the world for how it will end the 15-month-long conflict in the Middle East and help Palestinian people, who have lost much, rebuild their lives.
The US, Egypt and Qatar have mediated the long-running efforts but Israel's spy agency Mossad too was the main operative behind the deal but chose to stay out of the spotlight. While US President Donald Trump was widely hailed for enabling the sealing of the final agreement, it was Mossad chief David Barnea who sewed together a vast majority of the pact, dating back to May 27 and August 16, reported The Jerusalem Post.
Barnea managed to gain a significant concession from Hamas; that it would re-enter negotiations for returning all hostages without requiring an end to the war as a prerequisite to renewing the talks. This happened during the negotiations in the May-August period, long before Trump entered the picture.
Though no one had a clear idea about what Barnea was doing, the head negotiator is said to have manoeuvred between holding Israel’s ground on certain issues, including refusal to return Yahya Sinwar’s body, while displaying flexibility and willingness to accept minor changes, to seal the deal, the report said.
For those unfamiliar, David (Dedi) Barnea is the current head of the Mossad, born in 1965, and joined Israel's intelligence service in the 1990s. Over the years, Barnea led various Mossad units, with a focus on combating terrorism and countering Iranian expansion. Today, he… pic.twitter.com/Wyjl8SbRO1
— LionsOfZion_ official (@LionsOfZion_ORG) September 20, 2024
The spy chief is also said to have directed his energy towards building a relationship with Qatar since the country had a huge leverage over Hamas. His expertise in his field prompted Qatar to realise that when Barnea made an offer it was real and concrete, unlike a smooth talk by a diplomat.
Barnea also had a major role in the November 2023 proposal which saw 50 hostages freed. It was Barnea who shot down Hamas's attempt to change what they were "giving" to Israel. Hamas planned to hand over male hostages and dead bodies instead of the agreed-upon female hostages.
He was also instrumental in ensuring that the pact stayed on track despite it coming several close to falling apart in May and August.
