RNS: U.S. President Donald Trump has directly engaged in talks with Hamas to negotiate the release of American hostages, issuing a strong warning to the militant group in control of Gaza.
Trump’s message was unambiguous: if Hamas does not release the hostages and return the bodies of those killed, the consequences will be severe.
On Wednesday, Trump took to social media, demanding, “Release all of the hostages now, not later, and immediately return all of the dead bodies of the people you murdered, or it is OVER for you.”
This statement followed the confirmation from U.S. officials that talks with Hamas were underway. White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt stated, “These are ongoing talks and discussions. I am not going to detail them here. There are American lives at stake.”
Reports indicate that Hamas has been holding 59 hostages since its 2006 siege of Gaza, with only 22 believed to still be alive. The U.S. has been quietly engaging with Hamas over the past weeks in an effort to negotiate the release of American citizens. This marks the first time the U.S. has directly interacted with Hamas, a group designated as a terrorist organization by the U.S. since 1997.
According to Axios, Adam Boehler, the U.S. presidential envoy for hostage affairs, has been leading these discussions in Doha. While the primary goal is to secure the release of American hostages, talks have also touched on the possibility of a broader deal for the release of all hostages. However, there has been no agreement on a long-term ceasefire as of yet.
Though the U.S. had previously discussed with Israel the potential for talks with Hamas, reports indicate that Israel was informed of these discussions through unofficial channels. U.S. envoy Steve Witkoff had planned to meet with the prime minister of Qatar to discuss ceasefire negotiations but canceled his trip after realizing that Hamas had little interest in pursuing such discussions.
As the talks continue, the U.S. is focused on ensuring the safe return of its citizens held by Hamas.
