Israel’s war cabinet decided on Thursday night to send a delegation for Gaza ceasefire talks in Paris on Friday, as international negotiators renew efforts to secure a deal between Israel and Hamas.

A government official confirmed to Xinhua news agency that the head of the Mossad intelligence agency, David Barnea, will lead the Israeli delegation. The talks will be attended by Qatari Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al Thani and Director of US Central Intelligence Agency William Burns.

The White House’s Middle East coordinator, Brett McGurk, was in Israel on Thursday for talks with senior officials to negotiate the release of hostages held in Gaza and to secure a pause in the fighting.