US Spy Chief Becomes Key Envoy as Biden-Netanyahu Ties Fray
- Bill Burns, an Arabic speaker, has longstanding ties in region
- Intelligence head is central player in hostage-release talks
One key American official is quietly keeping Washington’s lines of communication open across the Middle East as the US and Israel endure their worst falling-out in decades over the war in Gaza.
Central Intelligence Agency Director William Burns, a veteran diplomat and Arabic speaker, was in Cairo alongside Qatari and Egyptian mediators this week as US President Joe Biden set off a political firestorm by halting the shipment of about 3,500 bombs to Israel. The White House is increasingly concerned about massive civilian casualties if Israel launches a ground offensive on Rafah, the southern Gaza city where 1.4 million Palestinians are sheltering from the war.