US-Hamas direct talks: What’s happening and what comes next
Palestinians walk through the destruction caused by the Israeli air and ground offensive in Rafah,southern Gaza, early in 2025
Al Jazeera reports on March 2025:
The White House has confirmed that the Trump administration engaged in direct talks with Hamas, saying the discussions align with US interests.
Following this, President Donald Trump threatened Palestinians in Gaza with deadly consequences if all captives were not released.
Here is what we know:
What do we know about the US-Hamas direct talks?
The discussions, facilitated by Qatari intermediaries, have reportedly been ongoing for weeks but became more evident in early March 2025.
This is the first time in decades that the United States negotiated directly with Hamas, a significant departure from US policy, which ruled out direct engagement with the group that it designated a Foreign Terrorist Organization (FTO) in 1997. Instead, it relied on intermediaries – most recently Qatar and Egypt – to communicate with Hamas.
They focused on securing the release of 21-year-old Edan Alexander, the only Israeli-American captive still believed to be alive, along with the bodies of four other Israeli Americans who were taken to Gaza on October 7.
Axios, which first reported the talks, also said the discussions included a possible broader agreement to release all remaining captives and establish a long-term truce. The Wall Street Journal reported that talks took place last month in Doha and led to the release of Sagui Dekel Chen, an Israeli-American dual citizen, on February 15.
Who’s Adam Boehler?
Adam Boehler, the US presidential envoy for hostage affairs, led the direct talks with Hamas.