Barnea reportedly told Qatari officials that “the Israeli cabinet’s decision to occupy Gaza City is not a bluff or psychological warfare, and Israel is prepared to carry it out if there is no progress in the hostage negotiations soon.”
The head of Israel’s Mossad intelligence agency, David Barnea, visited the Qatari capital Doha on Thursday for talks on resuming Gaza ceasefire and prisoner swap negotiations with Hamas, according to reports.
The Israeli daily Yedioth Ahronoth reported that Barnea met with Qatari Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani in Doha, without giving further details, according to the Anadolu news agency.
Israeli spy chief visits Doha for Gaza talks https://t.co/ZgVVzfFryi
— Axios (@axios) August 14, 2025
US news website Axios stated the visit marked “the most high-level talks” between Israel and mediators since negotiations broke down in Doha three weeks ago.
Barnea told Qatari officials that “the Israeli cabinet’s decision to occupy Gaza City is not a bluff or psychological warfare, and Israel is prepared to carry it out if there is no progress in the hostage negotiations soon,” Axios reported, citing a source familiar with the meeting.
Hamas Visit to Türkiye
The US, Qatar, Egypt, and Türkiye are all involved in the mediation efforts to reach a comprehensive ceasefire and prisoner release deal.
Axios also noted that a Hamas delegation recently visited Istanbul for talks with Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan, before traveling to Cairo to meet Egyptian intelligence chief Hassan Rashad to discuss ways to resume the negotiations.
Hamas: Ceasefire Deal with Israel Was Near, Collapsed by Netanyahu’s Decision
The Israeli Channel 13 claimed that Hamas is likely to present a new proposal for a Gaza ceasefire.
There was no comment from Hamas or Qatari officials on the Israeli report.
Witkoff, Qatari PM Talks
Egypt’s state-run Al-Qahera News channel, citing an Egyptian source, earlier said that Hamas was ready to “swiftly” return to the ceasefire negotiations with Israel, Anadolu reported.
Inside the US-Israeli Plan to Disarm Hezbollah, Hamas and the PMU
The Times of Israel cited Israeli Channel 12 as having reported that Israel “was considering sending a negotiating team to Doha.”
Axios reported that the Qatari prime minister and White House envoy Steve Witkoff met in Spain last week “to discuss the path forward.”
Rising Death Toll
Since Israel’s reneging on the ceasefire on March 18, it has killed and wounded thousands of Palestinians throughout the Gaza Strip through a bloody and ongoing aerial bombardment.
On October 7, 2023, following a Palestinian Resistance operation in southern Israel, the Israeli military launched a genocidal war against the Palestinians, killing over 61,700, wounding more than 154,500, with over 14,000 still missing.
Israeli bombardment hits two residential towers in the Al-Zaytoun neighborhood, southeast of Gaza City. pic.twitter.com/Cl6mbygtGe
— Quds News Network (@QudsNen) August 14, 2025
Despite habitual condemnation by many countries around the world of the Israeli genocide, little has been done to hold Israel accountable.
Israel is currently under investigation for the crime of genocide by the International Court of Justice, while accused war criminals — including Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu — are now officially wanted by the International Criminal Court.
The Israeli genocide has been largely defended, supported, and financed by Washington and a few other Western powers.
(PC, Anadolu)
Is there anyone in Israel to negotiate with? Does any Israeli have the cojones to stand up to Netanyahu and his kitchen cabinet floor sweepings, and actually get things done? Hamas should consider that, and consider it verbally – too often we’ve had to listen to Israelis saying “there’s no partner for peace”, when they were in reality describing themselves.
“the Israeli cabinet’s decision to occupy Gaza City is not a bluff or psychological warfare, and Israel is prepared to carry it out if there is no progress in the hostage negotiations soon,” — asshole! Tell your fucking PM to stop blowing up the agreement!! “bluff or psychological warfare” — that’s all you’ve got left!! “prepared to carry it out” — if you can beat or bribe 80,000 ultra-orthodox to put the Talmud down and, you know, get down with the Nazi shit!!