President Donald Trump‘s special envoy Steve Witkoff said that direct U.S. discussions with Hamas militants were in recent days aimed at securing the release of hostages from the captivity of the Palestinian militant group.
Witkoff also said the U.S. does not believe Hamas has been forthright. He spoke a day after reports surfaced that the top U.S. hostage negotiator, Adam Boehler, had met in Doha with Hamas representatives to try to obtain the release of hostages held in Gaza.
Witkoff told reporters at the White House that gaining the release of Edan Alexander, the 21-year-old man from New Jersey believed to be the last living American hostage held by Hamas in Gaza, is a “top priority for us.”
Witkoff said he will travel to the Middle East next week with stops planned in four countries.
Secret Talks
The United States broke a longstanding diplomatic taboo by holding secret talks with Hamas on securing the release of U.S. hostages held in Gaza, sources told Reuters on Wednesday, while President Donald Trump warned of “hell to pay” should the Palestinian militant group not comply.
U.S. hostage affairs envoy Adam Boehler has the authority to talk directly with Hamas, the White House said when asked about the discussions, which broke with a decades-old policy against negotiating with groups that the U.S. brands as terrorist organizations.
At the White House, Trump met a group of hostages who had been released recently under a Gaza ceasefire deal, and he issued a stark new threat against Hamas in a social media post.
He demanded that Hamas “release all of the hostages now, not later,” including the remains of dead hostages, “or it is OVER for you.”
“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,” he said. “Also, 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!”
(With inputs from Reuters)
