Mossad chief met with Qatar officials to try to cut Hamas deal

mossad chief yossi cohen and idF southern command maj.-Gen. herzi halevi met with top Qatari officials during the first week of February to work on a deal with hamas, yisrael beytenu leader avigdor Liberman revealed on saturday night.

the visit lasted less than 24 hours, Walla reported, quoting anonymous israeli officials calling it a very highlevel and serious meeting.

Liberman’s remarks violated an idF military censor order against reporting the news of the visit, which Walla reporter tal shalev said she had uncovered two weeks ago.

prime minister benjamin netanyahu said that Liberman lacked judgment.

“he’s a guided missile,” netanyahu said at a Likud event in rehovot. “this doesn’t help him politically, so apparently he has other

reasons to try to bring about our downfall. The hint is very clear. He is making a deal: He will vote for [Blue and White leader Benny] Gantz, who will go with Meretz and [Labor leader Amir] Peretz, and they will form a government that leans on the Joint List.”

Yisrael Beytenu said Liberman was not aware of the censorship order. Liberman was trying to attack Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government for cooperating with Qatar. His source for the leak was Channel 12.

Qatar is keeping Hamas above water financially with periodic payments, which Israel has been allowing.

It appears there were contacts between Israel and Qatar regarding the payments plus prior quiet intelligence ties between the two countries before that channel was opened.

The report did not indicate if any progress was made and no serious progress is expected until after the March 2 election.

Hamas has generally lowered its violence against Israel since an intense round of fighting between Israel and Palestine Islamic Jihad of Gaza in November, but has continued to maintain some violent actions, especially since the Trump administration peace plan was released. •