The White House confirmed Wednesday that Trump’s top hostage negotiator met with Hamas officials in Qatar, a rare instance of direct contact by U.S. officials with a group designated terrorist group.
Adam Boehler was nominated as the State Department’s special envoy for hostage affairs and met with Hamas representatives in Doha, according to people familiar with the matter.
“When it comes to the negotiations you refer to, the special envoys involved in the negotiations do have the right to talk to anyone,” White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt was asked about the reported talks Wednesday. “I consulted Israel on this matter.”
Axios reported earlier the meeting was Israel and Hamas exploring an extension of their six-week ceasefire, which expired on Sunday. Israel warns that Hamas will return to the battle if it does not release the remaining hostages occupied on October 7, 2023.
According to Axios, Hamas has five Americans in the remaining 59 hostages, 35 of which were killed by Israeli authorities.
The United States rarely directly relate to organizations it designated as terrorists, trying to avoid legal or sanctions issues and take steps that can be seen as legitimizing these groups. Since the beginning of the war, several rounds of negotiations have been held between Israel and Hamas, regulated by Egypt and Qatar, which will convey a message from Hamas to the United States to avoid direct contact.
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