Israel and Hamas may resume hostage talks

Shin Bet Chief Ronen Bar secretly visited Cairo on October 13, where he met with Egyptian Intelligence Chief Abbas Kamel.

The main objective of the covert meeting was to find ways to restart the stalled talks over a possible hostage deal, Walla reported.

This was reportedly the first visit by a top Israeli official to Cairo since August 22. Back then, Bar and Mossad Chief David Barnea met with Egyptian leaders to discuss the deployment of IDF forces along the Philadelphi Corridor, which has been a controversial subject throughout past negotiations, and the reopening of the Rafah crossing.

The past talks did not lead to any progress in returning the hostages held by Hamas in the Gaza Strip, which has since caused a serious strain in Israeli-Egyptian relations.

A source familiar with the visit shared that Bar and Kamel looked for ways to revive the hostage deal talks. The alleged push for renewed negotiations in Cairo comes as Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar has reportedly renewed contact with Hamas representatives in Doha, connecting with Qatari and Egyptian mediators.

The two intelligence chiefs also discussed how to end the ongoing issues around the Philadelphi Corridor and Rafah crossing.