Tuesday, March 4, 2025, President Donald Trump addresses a joint session of Congress at the Washington Capitol. ( Win McNamee/Pool Photo via AP )
The Trump government’s direct conversations with Hamas over the hostage-taking of American victims marked a significant change from US plan, which has been in place for decades. His administration had already been in secret conversations with the team, according to sources who spoke to the party before former President Donald Trump threatened “hell to pay” if all captives were no freed.
Doha Secret Conversations
According to sources, US president-elect’s minister for hostage matters, Adam Boehler met with Hamas authorities at numerous times in Doha in recent days. Negotiations were a part of these conversations, which were originally unnamed, regarding the transfer of US residents who are still imprisoned in Gaza. However, the discussions apparently extended beyond prisoner releases and touched on a more comprehensive ceasefire agreement.
The discovery goes against established US scheme, since Hamas has been classified by the State Department as a terrorist organization since 1997. Washington had previously relied on intermediaries to connect with the class, including Qatar and Egypt. Boehler’s strong engagement was confirmed by the White House, who claimed that he had the authority to hold such discussions.
Trump’s common danger
Trump met with hostages in a recent peace conference and issued an clear warning to Hamas on social media. He urged Hamas to immediately discharge all captives still in place, including the keeps of the confirmed dead, or else Hamas would suffer serious consequences.
Trump declared,” I am sending Israel all it needs to finish the job,” adding that” not a single Hamas part may be healthy” unless the captives were freed. His statements echoed previous hazards, including those made in the weeks leading up to the peace agreement in January.
Jewish and Hamas actions
Israel’s prime minister’s office acknowledged that Israel had expressed its place on strong US-Hamas negotiations, but it made no further public information.
In Gaza, the Palestinian Mujahideen, a military organization, criticized Trump’s statements as a mark of US involvement in admitted crimes against Palestinians. Hassan has not yet made a public opinion on the subject.
Possible Implications
Trump’s strategy is a significant departure from previous US services, directly engaging with Hamas while maintaining a radical stance. While these discussions may speed prisoner releases, former US brains official Jonathan Panikoff noted that knowing that Washington is willing to negotiate, they may also encourage Hamas to release more captives in the future.
The impact of the key discussions on Trump’s open ultimatum is still undetermined. The effects of these discussions may come into play in the coming weeks as hostages are still in prison and the Gaza peace is teetering.
