Trump administration holds secret talks with Hamas in break with US foreign policy

The sources said the talks have focused on gaining the release of American hostages still held in Gaza, but one said they also have included discussions about a broader deal to release all remaining hostages and how to reach a long-term truce.

One of the sources said the effort includes an attempt to gain the release of Edan Alexander, from New Jersey, who is believed to be the last living American hostage held by Hamas. He appeared in a video published by Hamas in November 2024.

Four other US hostages have been declared dead in absentia by Israeli authorities.

Jonathan Panikoff, a former US deputy national intelligence officer on the Middle East, said President Donald Trump’s unconventional diplomatic approach carries both risks and opportunities.

“On one hand, engaging Hamas directly could make it easier to get US hostages out and help reach a long-term agreement,” Panikoff, now at the Atlantic Council think tank, said. “On the other, there’s a reason the US doesn’t usually negotiate with terrorist groups – knowing Washington will do so incentivises them to repeat the behaviour in the future.”

Trump’s Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff plans to return to the region in coming days to work out a way to either extend the first phase of the Gaza ceasefire deal or advance to the second phase, a State Department spokesperson said on Monday.

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Fighting in the Gaza Strip has been halted since January 19 and Hamas has exchanged 33 Israeli hostages and five Thais for some 2,000 Palestinian prisoners and detainees.

Reuters

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