U.S., Hamas Hold Direct Talks Over Hostages in Gaza, Officials Say– www.nytimes.com
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U.S. and Hamas officials held talks in Qatar about hostages held in the Gaza Strip, breaking with a long-running American policy of refusing to directly engage with the militant group, according to an Israeli official and a diplomat briefed on the matter.
Adam Boehler, President Trump’s nominee to be special envoy for hostage affairs, participated in the talks this week with Hamas officials, the diplomat said. Both people discussed the meetings on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak publicly about the sensitive diplomacy.
The scope of the discussions was not immediately clear, but mediators have been seeking to extend the current truce between Israel and Hamas and free the remaining hostages in Gaza. About 24 living hostages — including Edan Alexander, an American citizen — and the bodies of at least 35 others are believed to still be held in Gaza, according to Israel.
The secret talks, which Axios first confirmed, marked a significant departure from previous negotiations involving the United States and Hamas, which the U.S. government has for decades designated as a terrorist group. American officials, like their Israeli counterparts, have generally relied on mediators to relay messages to the group rather than sit down with Hamas leaders.
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