The Israeli delegation to negotiate a prisoner exchange with Hamas and a ceasefire in Gaza will leave for Qatar on Monday, according to what the official Israeli Broadcasting Corporation reported on Saturday.

The authority said, “The war cabinet will not meet tonight (Saturday), and therefore the Israeli negotiating delegation is not expected to leave for Qatar before Monday.”

The authority quoted an unnamed political source in the government as saying: “There is no plan to hold a war council meeting tonight. It will be held on Sunday evening.”

The authority noted, “Based on the date of the war council meeting, the delegation, headed by Mossad chief David Barnea, will not leave for Doha before Monday.”

The Israeli delegation intends to go to Qatar to discuss concluding a possible prisoner exchange deal with Hamas.

During the past two days, Hebrew media circulated news stating that the War Council decided to send an Israeli delegation to Doha early next week to discuss the exchange deal.

On Friday, an informed Palestinian source revealed that the Hamas movement presented a proposal to the Qatari and Egyptian mediators for calm in Gaza, which includes three stages, each stage lasting 6 weeks, including an exchange of prisoners, the return of displaced persons to northern Gaza, and the declaration of a permanent ceasefire in the second stage.

Qatar and Egypt, with the help of the United States, are mediating between Israel and Hamas, in order to reach a new ceasefire agreement in Gaza and the exchange of prisoners.

Israel estimates that there are more than 125 prisoners in Gaza, while it holds at least 8,800 Palestinians in its prisons, according to official sources from both sides.

A truce previously prevailed between Hamas and Israel for a week from November 24 until December 1, 2023, during which a ceasefire took place, a prisoner exchange took place, and very limited humanitarian aid was brought into Gaza, with Qatari-Egyptian-American mediation.