U.S. President Donald Trump renewed his warning to Hamas to release the remaining captives, and pledged to send Israel whatever it needs “to finish the job”.
The United States has confirmed holding direct talks with Hamas in Doha over the release of American captives under the fragile Gaza ceasefire deal, which it brokered alongside Qatar and Egypt in January.
“These are ongoing talks and discussions,” White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt told a briefing in Washington on Wednesday. “I’m not going to detail them here, there are American lives at stake.”
“Israel was consulted on this matter, and look, dialogue and talking to people around the world to do what’s in the best interest of the American people is something that the president has proven is what he believes is [a] good faith effort to do what’s right for the American people,” Leavitt added.
The Washington official’s statement came hours after Axios released a report on the negotiations in Doha, where it cited two anonymous sources privy to the discussions.
The sources told the American outlet that Washington was represented by Adam Boehler, the U.S. Special Presidential Envoy for Hostage Affairs.
Hamas officials have also confirmed to AFP the reports over the direct talks, saying “two direct meetings” took place in the Qatari capital.
“Several communications took place between Hamas and various American communication channels, the latest being with a U.S. envoy, and discussed the issue of Israeli prisoners who hold American citizenship, both the living and the deceased,” the Hamas official anonymously said.
The Gulf state has not publicly commented on the talks.
‘Unprecedented’ talks
The U.S. State Department had designated Hamas as “a terrorist organisation” in 1997, refusing to hold direct talks with the Palestinian group.
Dr. Azzam Tamimi, Palestinian author and analyst, said the decision by the Trump administration to talk to Hamas directly is “certainly unprecedented”.
“It might be an indication that finally there’s someone in Washington who has realised that talking through mediators is tedious, confusing and can be counterproductive,” Tamimi told Doha News.
“It should not be taken to mean a change in the ideological position. Rather it’s simply a more practical and pragmatic approach.”
The developments come amid efforts by the mediators to begin the second phase of the Gaza ceasefire deal after the first expired on Saturday, March 1.
Trump renews threats
Meanwhile, U.S. President Donald Trump renewed his threats to Hamas to release the remaining captives, adding that he would send Israel “everything it needs to finish the job”.
“Release all of the hostages now, not later, and immediately return all of the dead bodies of the people you murdered, or it is OVER for you,” Trump posted on his social media platform Truth Social on Wednesday. “Not a single Hamas member will be safe if you don’t do as I say.”
Hamas spokesperson Hazem Qassem told Anadolu on Thursday that Trump’s “threats complicate matters regarding the ceasefire”.
“The U.S. administration is required to pressure the occupation to enter negotiations for the second phase, as stipulated in the ceasefire agreement,” he said.
Israel’s 15-month genocide has caused a dire humanitarian catastrophe in the Gaza Strip, and killed more than 61,709 Palestinians, with thousands still trapped under the rubble.
Netanyahu has long used the release of the captives as the pretext for the war, despite killing many of them during his bombardment of the Gaza Strip.
Israel believes some 24 living captives, including U.S. citizen Edan Alexander are still in the Gaza Strip, in addition to 35 others presumed dead.
