US Reportedly Establishes Secret Contacts With Hamas To Secure Hostage Release

JAKARTA - The United States held secret talks with Palestinian militant group Hamas to secure the release of US hostages, a source told Reuters on Wednesday.

US hostage affairs envoy Adam Boehler has the authority to speak directly with Hamas, the White House said when asked about the discussions, which violated the decades-old policy of not negotiating with groups Washington branded terrorist organizations.

Boehler and Hamas officials have met in Doha, Qatar in recent weeks, said two sources briefed on the negotiations, but it is unclear who represents Hamas, as quoted by Reuters on March 6.

The US has long avoided direct involvement with the Palestinian militant group that led a cross-border attack on southern Israel on October 7, 2023, which sparked a devastating Gaza war.

The US State Department designated Hamas as a terrorist organization in 1997.

The sources said talks focused on the release of American hostages still detained in Gaza, but one of the sources said the talks also included discussions on a broader deal to free all remaining hostages and how to reach a long-term ceasefire.

One source said the effort included efforts to free Edan Alexander from Tenafly, New Jersey, who is believed to be Hamas' last living American hostage. He appeared in a video published by Hamas in November 2024.

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

To date, the role of Uncle Sam's country in helping secure the Gaza ceasefire and the hostage release agreement is dealing with Israel and the mediators Qatar and Egypt, without direct communication known between Washington and Hamas.

However, White House press secretary Krypto Leavitt told reporters Boehler "has the authority" to hold direct talks with Hamas.

He said Israel had been consulted but did not mention whether this was before or after the conversation.

He described the contact as part of "President Donald Trump's good faith to do what is right for the American people."

On the other hand, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office issued a statement saying: "Israel has conveyed to the United States its position regarding direct talks with Hamas."

The statement did not elaborate, but Israel, which along with many other countries consider Hamas a terrorist organization, refused to negotiate directly with the group.

Separately, Taher Al-Nono, Hamas' political adviser, told Reuters: "I have no information about meetings with American officials, but any meetings with the American government are beneficial for regional stability."

It is known that fighting in Gaza has been halted since January 19 and Hamas has exchanged 33 Israeli hostages and five Thais for about 2,000 Palestinian prisoners and detainees. Israeli authorities believe less than half of the remaining 59 hostages are still alive.

Leavitt was asked whether talks with Hamas also included President Trump's controversial proposal for the US to take over Gaza last month, an idea rejected in the Arab world and condemned by human rights groups.

"This is ongoing talks and discussions. I will not elaborate," he said.

"There are American lives at stake," he continued.

Trump's Central East envoy Steve Witkoff plans to return to the region in the coming days to find ways to extend the first phase of the Gaza ceasefire agreement or advance to a second phase, a State Department spokesman said on Monday.

Trump's unconventional diplomatic approach contains risks and opportunities, said Jonathan Panikoff, a former deputy US national intelligence officer in the Middle East.

"On the one hand, involving Hamas directly can facilitate the release of US hostages and help reach a long-term agreement," said Panikoff, who now works at the thinktank Atlantic Council.

"On the other hand, there are reasons why the US usually doesn't negotiate with terrorist groups, knowing Washington will do so will encourage them to repeat that behavior in the future," he added.