The White House said Wednesday, March 5, that US officials have engaged in "ongoing talks and discussions" with Hamas officials, stepping away from a long-held US policy of not directly engaging in the militant group.
Confirmation of the talks in the Qatari capital of Doha come as the Israel-Hamas ceasefire remains in the balance. It's the first known direct engagement between the US and Hamas since the State Department designated the group a foreign terrorist organization in 1997.
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt declined to provide detail on the substance of talks, but said President Donald Trump has authorized his envoys to "talk to anyone." Egyptian and Qatari intermediaries have served as mediators with Hamas for the US and Israel since the group launched its October 7, 2023, attack on Israel that sparked the war.
"Look, 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... believes is a good-faith effort to do what’s right for the American people," she said.
'American lives at stake'
Leavitt added that Israel has been consulted about the direct engagement with Hamas officials, and noted that there are "American lives at stake." Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office offered a terse acknowledgement of the US-Hamas talks. "Israel has expressed to the United States its position regarding direct talks with Hamas," the prime minister's office said.
Israeli officials say about 24 living hostages – including Edan Alexander, an American citizen – as well as the bodies of at least 35 others are believed to still be held in Gaza.
Adam Boehler, Trump’s nominee to be special envoy for hostage affairs, led the direct talks with Hamas. Boehler, founder and CEO of Rubicon Founders, a healthcare investment firm, was a lead negotiator on the Abraham Accords team during Trump's first term that strove to win broader recognition of Israel in the Arab world.
The direct engagement comes as the continuation of the Israel-Hamas ceasefire remains uncertain. Trump has signaled that he has no intentions of pushing Netanyahu away from a return to combat if Hamas doesn’t agree to terms of a new ceasefire proposal, which the Israelis have billed as being drafted by US envoy Steve Witkoff.
The new plan would require Hamas to release half its remaining hostages – the militant group’s main bargaining chip – in exchange for a ceasefire extension and a promise to negotiate a lasting truce. Israel made no mention of releasing more Palestinian prisoners, a key component of the first phase.
The talks between US and Hamas officials were first reported earlier Wednesday by the news site Axios.
'This is your last warning'
Meanwhile, US President Donald Trump on Wednesday told the people of Gaza to give up hostages or face "HELL" and told the Hamas militant group's leadership to flee the territory.
"To the People of Gaza: A beautiful Future awaits, but not if you hold Hostages. If you do, you are DEAD! Make a SMART decision. RELEASE THE HOSTAGES NOW, OR THERE WILL BE HELL TO PAY LATER!" Trump posted on his Truth Social platform.
In the same post, he told Hamas to "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 is your last warning! For the leadership, now is the time to leave Gaza, while you still have a chance," Trump continued. "I am sending Israel everything it needs to finish the job, not a single Hamas member will be safe if you don't do as I say."