A plane that has been used in the past by senior Israeli officials returned to Israel on Saturday from Cairo, having spent several hours in Egypt, according to a report from Kan, Israel’s public broadcasting company.
The flight is suspected to have been part of ongoing efforts outside the public view to negotiate for the release of Israeli hostages currently held captive by Hamas in the Gaza Strip. A similar flight, on another plane known to be used by Israeli officials, traveled between Israel and Qatar last week, and was later reported to have carried David Barnea, head of the Mossad.
Hostage negotiations have been ongoing since Hamas first abducted more than 240 men, women, and children from Israel on October 7. Prior to Israel’s ground invasion of Gaza, there were reports of a major deal in the works to release captive Israelis in return for Palestinian prisoners in Israel, but these talks reportedly reached a dead-end prior to the start of major IDF ground operations.
Talks still ongoing, but no reports of major progress
On October 28, it was reported that “talks have not broken down, but are taking place at a ‘much slower pace’ than before the escalation.”
Other countries that are not a direct party to the conflict, such as Thailand, which has nearly two dozen nationals captive in Gaza, have also been negotiating separately for the release of their own.
The families of the kidnapped continue to put pressure on the Israeli government, including some calls for an ‘all-for-all’ prisoner swap between Israel and Hamas. Some families have set up camp opposite the IDF headquarters in Tel Aviv and vowed not to return home until their loved ones are returned from Gaza. A rally was also held in Jerusalem Saturday night calling for action on behalf of the hostages.
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