A senior Hamas official confirmed on Wednesday that talks had taken place between representatives of the terrorist organization and Adam Boehler, the Trump administration’s envoy on hostage affairs, saying the talks took place in the Qatari capital of Doha.
In an interview with the Al-Araby Al-Jadeed newspaper, the senior Hamas official said that the talks took place two weeks after Trump’s speech and dealt with the possibility of Hamas making a gesture of goodwill, which would be expressed through the release of hostages with US citizenship.
According to the report, Hamas proposed in the talks with the American envoy a comprehensive deal that would bring an end to the war in the Gaza Strip. It was noted to him that four to six of the hostages whose release the US is seeking were combat soldiers who were captured at military bases.
According to the senior Hamas official, there were attempts even during the Biden administration to engage in talks with administration representatives to reach a partial deal for the release of hostages with American citizenship.
The comments came after Axios reported that the Trump administration has been engaged in direct talks with Hamas.
Two anonymous sources quoted in the report said that the talks between Hamas and Boehler constitute the first direct talks between the US government and Hamas in nearly three decades.
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt later confirmed during a press briefing that the US has been holding direct talks with Hamas.
Leavitt stated that Israel was consulted about the talks and added that they are ongoing. She noted that President Trump believes "it is the right thing for the American people" and added, "There are American lives on the line."