WASHINGTON — The Trump administration is currently in direct discussions with Hamas regarding the release of American hostages still being held in the Gaza Strip, confirmed White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt on Wednesday. President Donald Trump views these talks as a sincere effort to act in the best interest of the American people, Leavitt stated during a White House press briefing. “American lives are on the line,” she emphasized, mentioning that Israel has been kept informed.
This development follows the conclusion of a six-week ceasefire between Israel and Hamas last Saturday, with no immediate plans for further peace talks. It represents the first instance of direct dialogue between the U.S. and Hamas, a group officially designated as a terrorist organization. Axios was the first to report on the ongoing negotiations between the two parties.
When asked whether the discussions also involve Trump’s proposal for assuming control of Gaza, Leavitt declined to provide specifics during the briefing and directed inquiries to the State Department. Initially, a second phase of the ceasefire was envisioned to include the release of additional hostages by Hamas in exchange for Israel’s withdrawal from Palestinian territory, with the goal of ending the conflict. However, with no ongoing talks, Israel ceased the flow of humanitarian aid to Gaza after the initial phase of the ceasefire ended. In response, Hamas accused Israel of violating their agreement by failing to fulfill their commitment to end the conflict and fully withdraw from Gaza.
Over the weekend, Israel approved a plan proposed by U.S. special envoy to the Middle East, Steve Witkoff, to extend the first phase of the ceasefire through Ramadan and Passover instead of proceeding to the second phase of peace negotiations. Witkoff’s plan entailed the release of half of the remaining hostages, including the deceased, on the first day, with the remaining hostages to be released once a permanent ceasefire agreement is reached, according to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office.
However, Hamas rejected the proposal, arguing that it did not honor the original, multi-phased ceasefire agreement. The group’s spokesman, Hazem Qassem, criticized the positions taken by the United States, suggesting that they had emboldened the right-wing faction within the Israeli government to implement punitive measures, such as closing border crossings and adopting a policy of economic sanctions against the people of Gaza.
National Security Council spokesman Brian Hughes affirmed on Sunday that Israel has been engaging in good faith negotiations since the beginning of the current administration to secure the release of hostages held captive by Hamas. Hughes indicated that the U.S. would support Israel’s decisions regarding future actions, particularly in light of Hamas signaling a lack of interest in further negotiated ceasefires.
On Monday, Netanyahu issued a warning to Hamas during a speech to the Knesset, Israel’s parliament, cautioning that if more hostages were not released, there would be severe consequences. “We are preparing for additional stages of the campaign – not everything is visible, and that is advantageous,” he stated.
The initial ceasefire, declared
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