A Palestinian official told Reuters on Sunday that the US and Hamas are holding direct talks on the possibility of a ceasefire deal in Gaza and the entry of humanitarian aid into the Palestinian territory, which has been under a total Israeli blockade since March 2.
Hamas released a statement on the talks with the US, saying it was ready to release Edan Alexander, a dual US-Israeli citizen and IDF soldier who was captured during the October 7 attack.
“As part of the efforts being made by our mediator brothers to achieve a ceasefire, Hamas has been in contact with the US administration over the past few days,” said Hamas official Dr. Khalil al-Hayya, according to Drop Site News.
“The movement has expressed a high degree of positivity, and the release of Israeli soldier Edan Alexander, a dual US citizen, will be part of the steps being taken to achieve a ceasefire, open the crossings, and allow aid and relief to reach our people in the Gaza Strip,” al-Hayya added.
The US previously held direct negotiations with Hamas but hasn’t confirmed that it’s holding more talks with the Palestinian group. A State Department official told Reuters, “We cannot speak to ongoing negotiations, but I will note recent statements by Qatar and Egypt that they are continuing to engage in pursuit of an agreement.”
News of the US-Hamas talks comes amid a series of reports that say President Trump is frustrated with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and may be looking to pressure him to agree to a ceasefire deal in Gaza.
Israel’s Channel 12 has reported that Trump’s Middle East envoy, Steve Witkoff, recently told the families of Israeli captives who remain in Gaza that the US “wants to return the hostages, but Israel is not ready to end the war.” He added that Israel “is prolonging the war, even though we do not see where further progress can be made.”
Israel has repeatedly rejected Hamas’s offer to release all remaining Israeli captives in exchange for a permanent ceasefire, and Netanyahu has said that freeing the hostages is not his priority. Israel has been demanding that any deal must include the disarmament of Hamas, but the US has reportedly backed down on that demand.
Dave DeCamp is the news editor of Antiwar.com, follow him on Twitter @decampdave.