On March 8, Israel's Secret Intelligence Service (Mossad) chief David Barnea met with US Central Intelligence Agency Director William Burns in an effort to promote a deal with Hamas to release hostages in exchange for a ceasefire in Gaza, Netanyahu's office said.
"At this stage, Hamas is reasserting its position that it is not interested in a deal, and is seeking to inflame the region during Ramadan at the expense of the Palestinian residents of the Gaza Strip. We emphasize that contacts and cooperation with the mediators continue unceasingly in an attempt to narrow differences and advance agreements," the Prime Minister's Office said on behalf of the Mossad.
On October 7, 2023, Palestinian movement Hamas attacked Israel from the Gaza Strip and in the ensuing fighting killed 1,100 Israelis, both military and civilians, and abducting some 240 others. Israel launched massive strikes on Gaza, fully blockaded the Palestinian enclave and then invaded it with the declared goal of eliminating Hamas and rescuing the hostages.
Some 31,000 Palestinians have been killed in Israel's military operations and more than 76,000 have been wounded, according to the local authorities. More than 1.9 million Palestinians out of 2.3 million in Gaza have been displaced more than a half are facing hunger and starvation as a result of Israel's blockade.
On November 24, Qatar mediated a deal between Israel and Hamas on a temporary truce and the exchange of some of the Palestinians imprisoned by Israel and hostages taken by Hamas, as well as the delivery of humanitarian aid into the Gaza Strip. The ceasefire was extended several times and expired on December 1. More than 100 hostages are still believed to be held by Hamas in Gaza.