Mossad head receives list of released hostages in trip to Qatar

Every day, Barnea will receive a list with the names of the hostages who will be released the following day, according to N12.

 Mossad Director David Barnea speaks during a Conference of the Institute for National Security Studies (INSS), in Tel Aviv, on September 10, 2023. (photo credit: AVSHALOM SASSONI/FLASH90)
Mossad Director David Barnea speaks during a Conference of the Institute for National Security Studies (INSS), in Tel Aviv, on September 10, 2023.
(photo credit: AVSHALOM SASSONI/FLASH90)

Mossad Director David Barnea visited Qatar to discuss the hostage release deal with the Prime Minister and other Qatari officials, it was reported on Wednesday.

There, Barnea received the list of received hostages who are expected to be released on Thursday. Accompanying Barnea is Maj.-Gen. (res.) Nitzan Alon, who was appointed to handle a variety of security and intelligence operations issues related to the hostages.

Every day, Barnea will receive a list with the names of the hostages who will be released the following day, according to N12. Israel will then, according to the hostage list, prepare their own list of security prisoners it will release. The lists will be sent to the Red Cross on both sides.

IDF Spokesman R-Adm. Daniel Hagari said the same day that "We have a duty to do everything to return the hostages, the elderly, the women, and of course our children to their homes.

"This is a complex process that will take time and continue in several stages. Our guiding principle was and remains to update the families of the hostages first, and then update the public. The coming days will include moments of pain, and moments of joy, and may include attempts at psychological terror."

 Head of Mossad David Barnea attends the state ceremony marking 50 years since the Yom Kippur War. (credit: Chaim Goldberg/Flash90)
Head of Mossad David Barnea attends the state ceremony marking 50 years since the Yom Kippur War. (credit: Chaim Goldberg/Flash90)

The outline of those being planned to be released includes hostages up to the age of 19 and women who aren't soldiers. Those released will also include women who were kidnapped from the music festival. Israel expects the release of up to 80 hostages as part of this deal.

The families of the released hostages will be notified of their release only when they are handed over to the IDF, N12 reported. 10 hostages will be released every day of the ceasefire, according to the report. Hamas will determine the order of release of the hostages and Israel will determine the identity of the prisoners to be released.

The hostages will be evacuated to various hospitals according to how severe their injuries are - and they will not be separated from their family members.

Israel will not back down

Israel makes it clear that the IDF soldiers fighting in the Gaza territories will respond to any threat to them. However, Israel will make efforts not to do actions that would be considered violations.

"Our goal is to get as much as possible in this outline and to resume fighting the day after," N12 quoted an Israeli official as saying. "We believe that the continuation of the tremendous pressure already exerted on Hamas will bring the other side to consider holding more deals for the release of hostages."


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Maariv Online contributed to this report.