FLASH
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The United States broke a long-standing diplomatic taboo (we don't negotiate with terrorists) by holding secret talks with Hamas to secure the release of American hostages held in Gaza, sources told Reuters on Wednesday, as President Donald Trump warned he would break "all hell" if the Palestinian militant group did not implement the pact.
The US envoy for hostage issues, Adam Boehler, has the authority to talk directly with Hamas, the White House said when asked about the discussions, which break with a decades-old policy against negotiating with groups the US designates as terrorist organisations.
Boehler and the Hamas official met in Doha in recent weeks, two sources familiar with the negotiations said. It was not clear who represented Hamas. At the White House, Trump met with a group of hostages who had recently been released under a ceasefire agreement in Gaza, and he issued a new threat against Hamas in a social media post.
He demanded that Hamas release all hostages now, not later, including the remains of the dead hostages, or this would be the end of them.
" I am sending Israel everything it needs to get the job done, no member of Hamas will be safe unless you do as I say. Also, to the people of Gaza: A beautiful future awaits you, but not if you hold hostages. If you do, you are dead! Make the smart decision. Release the hostages now, or there will be a lot to pay for later! " Trump wrote.
Trump's warning echoed his "you will pay with hell" threat before his return to the White House on January 20, which was followed by the ceasefire and hostage deal in mid-January, for which he claimed credit before then-President Joe Biden left office.
Once again, Trump did not specify exactly what action he might take if Hamas did not abide by the pact.
The Palestinian Mujahideen military group in Gaza condemned Trump's warning, saying it demonstrated his administration's intention to continue as a partner in genocidal crimes against the Palestinian people.
" Trump's threats today clearly reveal the ugly face of the United States of America and show its lack of seriousness and abandonment of the agreement it brokered ," the group said.
Hamas has not yet commented on Trump's threats. The United States has long avoided direct engagement with the Islamist group, which carried out a cross-border raid into southern Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, sparking a devastating war in Gaza that has killed more than 48,000 Palestinians, according to Gaza health officials.
One of the sources said the effort includes an attempt to win the release of Edan Alexander of Tenafly, New Jersey, believed to be the last living American hostage held by Hamas. He appeared in a video released by Hamas in November 2024. Four other American hostages have been declared dead by Israeli authorities.
To date, the US role in helping to secure a ceasefire in Gaza and a hostage release agreement has been through Israeli and Qatari and Egyptian mediators, but without any known direct communication between Washington and Hamas.
White House Press Secretary Caroline Leavitt told reporters that Boehler "has the authority" to hold direct talks with Hamas.
She said Israel had been consulted, but did not say whether this was before or after the talks. She described the contacts as part of Trump's "good faith effort to do what is right for the American people."
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office issued a statement saying: "Israel has conveyed to the United States its position regarding direct talks with Hamas ." It did not provide details, but Israel, which along with many other countries considers Hamas a terrorist organization, refuses to negotiate directly with the group.
Taher Al-Nono, a Hamas political adviser, told Reuters: " I have no information about meetings with American officials, but any meeting with the American administration is beneficial for the stability of the region ."
The sources said the discussions have focused on achieving the release of American hostages still being held in Gaza, but one said they have also included talks on a broader agreement to release all remaining hostages and how to achieve a long-term ceasefire.
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 that less than half of the remaining 59 hostages are still alive.
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