Israeli hostage deal negotiator resigns

A senior member of the Israeli hostage and ceasefire negotiating team has announced his resignation. Making his announcement, Brigadier General Oren Setter said that the negotiations to reach a deal to release prisoners and a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip are stalling after more than a year of the genocidal Israeli war.

The official broadcasting authority said on Monday that Setter, who was the deputy to Major General Nitzan Alon, the official negotiating on behalf of the Israeli army, made his announcement without warning. “Setter was deeply involved in formulating a plan for a ceasefire and the release of the captured Israeli prisoners in Gaza that was adopted by President Biden and the UN Security Council,” said the broadcaster. It suggested that Setter announced his resignation due to the impasse in the talks.

“On Monday afternoon, the head of the Mossad [spy agency, David Barnea] returned from Doha, and it can be said that if there had been any possibility of a breakthrough, we would not have witnessed this dramatic resignation,” it added.

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Commenting on the resignation of the senior official from the negotiating team Israeli army spokesman Daniel Hagari said: “As part of the team, Setter worked tirelessly to strengthen the efforts to return the captured. He will return to assist the team in the future, as needed.”

On Monday, the occupation regime announced that Barnea had returned from Doha where he discussed “a new plan that also includes previous proposals” to reach a deal with Hamas for a prisoner exchange, said the office of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Barnea held talks with Qatari Prime Minister Mohammed Bin Abdulrahman Al-Thani and the head of the US Central Intelligence Agency, William Burns during a two-day visit.

The parties discussed a new unified plan for a prisoner exchange deal that combines previous proposals and also takes account of key issues and recent developments in the region, according to the official statement.

Despite the ongoing mediation efforts of Qatar and Egypt that have gone on for months, and the presentation of one agreement proposal after another to end the war on Gaza and exchange prisoners, Netanyahu continues to set new conditions that obstruct any deal being agreed.

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