WASHINGTON — CIA Director William Burns will meet with Israel's Mossad director, David Barnea, and Qatari Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani this weekend in Europe to try to further negotiations to secure the release of hostages being held in Gaza. A diplomat with knowledge of the matter confirmed the upcoming meeting to NBC News, first reported by The Washington Post. National Security Council spokesman John Kirby referred reporters to the CIA when asked about Burns' activities, noting the director has been involved in trying to reach another hostage deal. As part of a truce in November, more than 100 hostages were released from Gaza in exchange for the release of 240 Palestinian prisoners by Israel. In early December, however, the cease-fire ended, with Israel and the U.S. saying Hamas broke the terms of the agreement and sent rockets into Israel.
