The Trump administration has been conducting secret talks with Hamas on the possibility of releasing U.S. hostages being held in Gaza, Axios reported on Wednesday, citing two unnamed sources with direct knowledge of the talks.
U.S. special envoy for hostage affairs Adam Boehler has been holding the direct talks with Hamas in recent weeks in Doha © Mena Today
The Trump administration has been conducting secret talks with Hamas on the possibility of releasing U.S. hostages being held in Gaza, a source briefed on the conversations told Reuters.
U.S. special envoy for hostage affairs Adam Boehler has been holding the direct talks with Hamas in recent weeks in Doha, the source said, confirming a report by Axios.
Until recently the United States had avoided direct discussions with the militant group. The U.S. State Department designated Hamas as a foreign terrorist organization in 1997.
The Israeli embassy in Washington did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Boehler's office declined to comment. The White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
The source said the talks have focused on gaining the release of American hostages still held in Gaza, but also have included discussions about a broader deal to release all remaining hostages and how to reach a long-term truce.
U.S. President Donald Trump's Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff plans to return to the region in coming days to work out a way to either extend the first phase of the Gaza ceasefire deal or advance to the second phase, a State Department spokesperson said on Monday.
Reporting by Katharine Jackson and Susan Heavey
Countries are still working on a U.N. Security Council mandate for an international stabilisation force in Gaza, and will decide on any troop deployments once a framework is complete, Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan said on Monday.
Avishay Edri wants to move back to the kibbutz he evacuated in southern Israel after it was attacked by Palestinian gunmen two years ago, but is hesitating as fears persist that the war in nearby Gaza will resume and it will not be safe.
Inflation in Turkey eased in October, falling to 32.9% year-on-year from 33.3% in September, reaching its lowest level since November 2021, according to official data released on Monday.
To make this website run properly and to improve your experience, we use cookies. For more detailed information, please check our Cookie Policy.
Necessary cookies enable core functionality. The website cannot function properly without these cookies, and can only be disabled by changing your browser preferences.