CIA Director William Burns has returned to Qatar for another round of multiparty talks aimed at freeing more hostages who were kidnapped in Israel and held in Gaza. This is his second visit to Doha this month, and he is expected to meet with intelligence counterparts from Israel and Egypt, as well as the Qatari prime minister. The talks are focused on building on an existing agreement that resulted in the release of dozens of hostages during a four-day pause in fighting in Gaza.

Qatari officials announced on Monday that the temporary pause had been extended for two more days to facilitate the release of additional hostages and allow more humanitarian aid to enter Gaza. As part of the current deal, Israel has also released 150 Palestinian women and children who were held in Israeli prisons, three for every one hostage. However, there are discussions to change the ratio of prisoner to hostage releases and to broaden the categories of hostages to include men and soldiers.

The CIA declined to comment on Burns' travels or schedule, but a U.S. official confirmed that he is in Doha for meetings on the Israel-Hamas conflict and discussions on hostages. Burns previously visited Doha on November 9 to help reinvigorate the talks alongside Israel's Mossad Director David Barnea and Qatari Prime Minister Mohammed bin Abdulrahaman Al Thani. The first deal, announced by the Qataris on November 21, marked the first pause in fighting since the war began on October 7.

During the current negotiations, one American hostage, four-year-old Abigail Idan, was among a group of 17 women and children released by Hamas. The U.S. believes there are still "eight to nine" American hostages being held in Gaza, although there are no immediate updates on the status of the other two American women on the list of expected releases. American officials, including President Biden, have called for longer pauses in fighting to facilitate the release of as many hostages as possible and to increase the flow of aid into Gaza.

Since October 21, over 2,000 aid trucks have entered Gaza, delivering food, water, medical assistance, and fuel. During the first four days of the current pause, 800 trucks entered Gaza. Additionally, the U.S. military will begin relief flights into North Sinai in Egypt to provide additional aid and resources for civilians in Gaza as winter approaches.

Secretary of State Antony Blinken is also expected to travel to Tel Aviv, the West Bank, and Dubai later this week, marking his third trip to the region since the conflict erupted. Blinken held calls with his Egyptian and Qatari counterparts yesterday, thanking them for their assistance in brokering the current hostage deal and reiterating commitments to minimize civilian casualties in Gaza.

The negotiations in Qatar are crucial in securing the release of more hostages and reaching a more permanent cease-fire. Burns, along with Israeli counterpart David Barnea, has been working through Qatari intermediaries as they have not directly negotiated with Hamas officials. Burns' extensive diplomatic experience and deep level of trust with leaders across the Middle East make him well-suited for these negotiations.