Trump administration has been talking with Hamas, marking U-turn from prior U.S. policy

Thomson Reuters

· Posted: Mar 05, 2025 6:07 PM EST | Last Updated: March 6

The United States broke a longstanding diplomatic taboo by holding concealed talks with the militant Palestinian radical Hamas connected securing the merchandise of U.S. hostages held successful Gaza, sources told Reuters connected Wednesday, portion U.S. President Donald Trump warned of "hell to pay" should the Palestinian militant radical not comply.

U.S. hostage affairs envoy Adam Boehler has the authorization to speech straight with Hamas, the White House said erstwhile asked astir the discussions, which broke with a decades-old argumentation against negotiating with groups that the U.S. brands arsenic violent organizations.

Boehler and Hamas officials met successful Doha successful caller weeks, 2 sources briefed connected the negotiations said. It was not wide who represented Hamas.

At the White House, Trump met a radical of hostages who had been released precocious nether a Gaza ceasefire deal, and helium issued a stark caller menace against Hamas successful a societal media post.

He demanded that Hamas "release each of the hostages now, not later," including the remains of dormant hostages, "or it is OVER for you."

"I americium sending Israel everything it needs to decorativeness the job, not a azygous Hamas subordinate volition beryllium harmless if you don't bash arsenic I say," helium wrote. "Also, to the People of Gaza: A beauteous Future awaits, but not if you clasp Hostages. If you do, you are DEAD! Make a SMART decision. RELEASE THE HOSTAGES NOW, OR THERE WILL BE HELL TO PAY LATER!"

Trump's informing echoed his "hell to pay" threat earlier his Jan. 20 instrumentality to the White House, which was followed by the ceasefire and hostages woody successful mid-January that helium claimed recognition for earlier then-president Joe Biden near office.

Once again Trump did not specify precisely what enactment helium mightiness instrumentality if Hamas failed to comply.

Hamas has yet to remark connected Trump's threats.

The U.S. had agelong avoided nonstop engagement with the militant group, which carried retired a cross-border raid into confederate Israel connected Oct. 7, 2023, killing immoderate 1,200 radical and taking 251 hostages, triggering a devastating Gaza war. Israel's violative has killed implicit 48,000 Palestinians, according to Gaza's Health Ministry. 

The U.S. State Department designated Hamas a violent enactment successful 1997.

One of the sources said the effort includes an effort to summation the merchandise of Edan Alexander of Tenafly, N.J., believed to beryllium the past surviving American hostage held by Hamas. He appeared successful a video published by Hamas successful November 2024.

Four different U.S. hostages person been declared dormant by Israeli authorities.

To date, the U.S. relation successful helping to unafraid a Gaza ceasefire and hostage merchandise woody has been dealing with Israel and Qatari and Egyptian mediators but without immoderate known nonstop communications betwixt Washington and Hamas.

White House property caput Karoline Leavitt told reporters that Boehler "does person the authority" to clasp nonstop talks with Hamas. She said Israel was consulted but did not bespeak whether this was earlier oregon aft the talks. She described the contacts arsenic portion of Trump's "good-faith effort to bash what's close for the American people."

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's bureau issued a connection saying: "Israel has expressed to the United States its presumption regarding nonstop talks with Hamas." It did not elaborate. Israel, on with galore different countries considers Hamas a violent organization, and refuses to negociate straight with the group.

Taher Al-Nono, a Hamas governmental adviser, told Reuters: "I person nary accusation astir meetings with American officials, but immoderate gathering with the American medication is beneficial for the stableness of the region."

Risks and opportunities with approach

The sources said the talks person focused connected gaining the merchandise of American hostages inactive held successful Gaza, but 1 said they besides person included discussions astir a broader woody to merchandise each remaining hostages and however to scope a semipermanent truce.

Fighting successful Gaza has been halted since Jan. 19 and Hamas has exchanged 33 Israeli hostages and 5 Thais for immoderate 2,000 Palestinian prisoners and detainees. Israeli authorities judge less than fractional of the remaining 59 hostages are inactive alive.

Leavitt was asked whether the talks with Hamas besides included Trump's arguable proposal for the U.S. to instrumentality implicit Gaza. He suggested past period that war-ravaged Gaza beryllium transformed into a Riviera-style edifice aft its inhabitants are resettled elsewhere, an thought rejected successful the Arab satellite and condemned by quality rights groups.

"These are ongoing talks and discussions. I'm not going to item them," she said. "There are American lives astatine stake."

Jonathan Panikoff, a erstwhile U.S. lawman nationalist quality serviceman connected the Middle East, said Trump's unconventional diplomatic attack carries some risks and opportunities.

"On 1 hand, engaging Hamas straight could marque it easier to get U.S. hostages retired and assistance scope a semipermanent agreement," said Panikoff, present astatine the Atlantic Council think-tank.

"On the other, there's a crushed the U.S. doesn't usually negociate with violent groups, knowing Washington volition bash truthful incentivizes them to repetition the behaviour successful the future."

Trump's Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff plans to instrumentality to the portion successful coming days to enactment retired a mode either to widen the archetypal signifier of the Gaza ceasefire woody oregon beforehand to the 2nd phase, a U.S. State Department spokesperson said connected Monday.