CIA Director William Burns, who is in Doha for “emergency” talks with Qatar’s Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani, is expected to remain in the Gulf country, as negotiations for a Gaza truce continue to drag, according to Al Jazeera, which cited news reports.

Axios reported that after his last-minute trip to Qatar, Burns will head to Israel by Tuesday for talks with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. But the US news outlet later reported that Burns would likely travel to Israel later this week.

CNN also reported that he will stay in Doha on Monday.

Talks for a ceasefire have been complicated by the latest report that Israel is planning to evacuate thousands of displaced Palestinians from Rafah in southern Gaza ahead of a possible major ground offensive.

Negotiators had hoped that an agreement would be reached paving the way for a ceasefire in Gaza in exchange for the release of Israeli captives held in Gaza.

But Israel had refused to commit to a permanent halt in hostilities and instead promised a temporary ceasefire.

Opinion

Editorial

A new deal
Updated 16 Jun, 2026

A new deal

AFTER three and a half months of war between US-Israel and Iran and an acrimonious temporary ceasefire, a genuine...
Charter of economy
16 Jun, 2026

Charter of economy

NO one expected the PTI to accept the government’s invitation to sign a charter of economy; just as few expected...
Hostage seamen
16 Jun, 2026

Hostage seamen

SOME 50 days on, 11 Pakistani nationals are still in Somali pirates’ captivity. Their appeals to the Pakistani and...
Climate choices
Updated 15 Jun, 2026

Climate choices

The country is confronting increasingly volatile weather patterns with consequences for agriculture, infrastructure, public health and economic planning.
Brief opening
15 Jun, 2026

Brief opening

WE have been here before. Throughout the weekend, there was great anticipation that a tentative framework for peace...
Environmental disaster
15 Jun, 2026

Environmental disaster

IT was a heartbreaking sight. A recent news report in these pages carried a picture of a sea turtle lying half ...