White House confirms direct talks with Hamas, says envoy has authority to 'talk to anyone'
The Trump administration is holding direct talks with Hamas, a designated terrorist organization, with the White House saying the president’s envoys have authority to “talk to anyone.”
The office of Israel’s prime minister said in a statement that Israel has expressed its position to the U.S. regarding direct talks with Hamas. The statement did not indicate what position the Israeli government holds.
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt confirmed Wednesday that President Trump’s special envoy is engaged in negotiations with Hamas.
“When it comes to the negotiations … the special envoy who’s engaged in those negotiations does have the authority to talk to anyone,” Leavitt said.
“Israel was consulted on this matter. Dialogue and talking to people around the world to do what’s in the best interest of the American people, is something that the president has proven, what he believes is good-faith effort to do what’s right for the American people.”
Axios first reported that Trump’s special envoy for hostage negotiations, Adam Boehler, is talking directly with Hamas officials over the release of U.S. hostages in Gaza and a broader deal to end the war with Israel.
It’s not unprecedented for the U.S. to hold talks with designated terrorist groups, but it typically requires the president or secretary of State to waive restrictions in the national interest.
Trump’s officials negotiated with the Taliban during his first term, and the Biden administration engaged Syria’s caretaker government, headed by the designated terrorist group Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham, following their ousting of dictator Bashar al-Assad.
“An exception to the ban on speaking to FTOs [Foreign Terrorist Organization] (and this particularly vicious one) contains risks and could complicate needed efforts to remove them from power in Gaza,” Daniel Shapiro, former ambassador to Israel and who served most recently as deputy assistant secretary of Defense for the Middle East in the Biden administration, posted on the social media site X.
“But with the life of a US citizen hostage at stake, it should be in play. Details matter."
A six-week truce between Israel and Hamas is on shaky ground amid uncertainty over the next phase of talks and allegations of violations by both sides. While fighting has not resumed, Israel halted humanitarian aid to Gaza, and talks on moving to a second phase of the deal appear stalled.
“We confirm that the only way for the occupation [Israel] to free its prisoners [hostages] is by adhering to the ceasefire agreement, immediately entering into negotiations for the second phase, and upholding commitments under the deal,” Hams said in a statement on March 2.
Trump has increasingly criticized the terms of the deal, laid out by the Biden administration, although he committed to bringing dozens more hostages home who are held by Hamas in the Gaza Strip, including Americans.
“We're bringing back our hostages from Gaza,” Trump said in his address to Congress on Tuesday night, although he did not address what steps are being taken.
—Updated at 4:18 p.m. EST
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