The Mossad is the national intelligence agency of Israel, responsible for intelligence collection, covert operations abroad and counter-terrorism work.
Some of the most famous operations attributed to the Mossad include the abduction of Nazi criminal Adolf Eichmann from Argentina to Israel in 1960 and the successful heist of the Iranian secret nuclear archive in 2018.
In addition, the agency also works to bring Jews from countries in which aliyah is forbidden, to Israel.
The Mossad was found in December 1941 under the recommendation of then prime minister David Ben-Gurion to coordinate with other existing security services, Aman and the Shin Bet.
Its current director is David Barnea, who took over from Yossi Cohen in 2021, and who answers solely to the prime minister rather than to another member of the cabinet.
Israeli officials have suggested they might consider a permanent ceasefire if Hamas’s Gaza leadership leave the Strip and go into exile.
A former Mossad official believes that negotiations with Hamas would not only see the release of terrorists but would set a dangerous precedent for hostage-taking.
The talks between Israel, Qatar, and Egypt will reportedly focus on remaining gaps between Israel and Hamas, including over prisoner releases and humanitarian aid.
The Mossad charged that Hamas is seeking to escalate tensions ahead of Ramadan at the expense of Palestinians in the Gaza Strip.
A Turkish court in January ordered the arrest of 15 people and the deportation of eight others suspected of having links to Mossad and targeting Palestinians living in Turkey.
Pardo said that another option would be to try to turn a terror group into a political group, as was done in Ireland.
While Israel and Turkey have enjoyed historical ties, Erdogan's recent comments and support for Hamas have strained ties - an expert on Turkey unveils why.
In recent months, Turkey has claimed multiple arrests of "Mossad personnel," who, among other things, was "recruited to spy on Palestinians living in the country."
Part of what has made Barnea crucial is the high respect accorded to him by all of the key players.
Israel and Hamas have been at odds over the terms of a deal as Hamas insists on a full withdrawal and end of the war, while Israel insists that it must be allowed to finish its military campaign.