Israeli and Qatari officials met in New York on Sunday, according to a report, in the first of a series of trilateral meetings set up by US envoy Steve Witkoff, who is looking to mend ties that were frayed by Israel’s botched September strike on Hamas offices in Qatar.

According to Axios, which cited two unnamed sources, the meeting was hosted by Witkoff and was attended by Mossad chief David Barnea and a senior Qatari official.

It was the highest-level meeting between the countries since the strike.

Qatar and Israel do not have diplomatic relations, though Doha has played a key role in mediating with Hamas and has a close relationship with the US, especially under President Donald Trump.

According to the sources cited in the report, Witkoff set up a mechanism to “enhance coordination, improve communication, resolve mutual grievances, and strengthen collective efforts to prevent threats.”

Sunday’s meeting likely focused on moving the Gaza ceasefire to its second phase, nearly two months after it was secured in early October, the report said. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Sunday that the truce’s first phase is “almost” complete, and that he expects the next stage to begin soon.

The report did not specify how frequently such meetings will be held under the new mechanism.

It noted that Netanyahu has previously said he intends to use the framework “to raise complaints regarding Qatar’s support for the Muslim Brotherhood, the hostility toward Israel in broadcasts from Al Jazeera (which is funded by Qatar), and Qatar’s alleged support for anti-Israel sentiments on US college campuses.”

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