Iranian FM Holds Talks With Hamas' Haniyeh Ahead Of Egypt Visit

Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian met with Hamas's political leader, Ismail Haniyeh, in Doha on Wednesday, as fighting continued in Gaza.

The meeting serves as a precursor to Haniyeh's forthcoming trip to Egypt for negotiations aimed at bringing an end to the ongoing conflict with Israel.

Amir-Abdollahian traveled to Doha on Tuesday for bilateral talks with Qatari officials, focusing on regional developments, particularly the situation in Gaza. A French news agency, citing a source close to Hamas, revealed that Haniyeh is leading a "high-level delegation" to Egypt in a bid to negotiate with Egypt's intelligence chief and other officials with the goal of "ending the war and reaching an agreement on the release of prisoners", referring to the Palestinians held in Israeli jails.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu confirmed that the head of Mossad, Israel's intelligence and special operations organization, has embarked on trips to two countries for negotiations concerning a potential agreement with Hamas for the release of the more than 130 hostages still held by the terror group.

In tandem with the developments, Israeli sources shared with Axios on Tuesday that Israel proposed a one-week ceasefire in the Gaza conflict as part of a new agreement to secure the release of hostages. The proposal represents Israel's first initiative since the resumption of hostilities following a one-week ceasefire.

The Iranian Foreign Minister’s trip to Doha is the fourth since the Hamas attack on Israeli soil on October 7—a move that swiftly implicated Iran in the regional conflict. The Islamic Republic terms Hamas and its proxy groups as "resistance forces," while the UK, Europe and the United States officially designate Hamas as a terrorist organization.