Hamas speaking directly to US about hostage release as negotiations on ceasefire gather pace
By Middle East correspondent Matthew Doran
Topic:Unrest, Conflict and War
12m ago12 minutes agoSun 9 Mar 2025 at 1:55pm
Two men in suits stand side by side. Trump (right) wears a black MAGA hat.
Donald Trump's Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff is expected to travel to Doha on Tuesday. (Reuters: Brian Snyder)
In short:
Hamas has confirmed it has held talks with the United States about the potential release of an American-Israeli hostage.
It is hoped negotiations on the next phase of the fragile ceasefire in Gaza can begin in the coming days.
What's next?
Israel is sending a group of negotiators to the Qatari capital Doha on Monday for discussions on the future of the fragile ceasefire in Gaza.
Hamas has confirmed it has held unprecedented direct talks with the Trump administration about the release of an American-Israeli hostage, ahead of the next round of Gaza ceasefire talks beginning in Qatar.
An Israeli delegation is being dispatched to Doha on Monday to "advance the negotiations" on the future of the ceasefire, which came into force on January 19.
Over the weekend Hamas said discussions with Egyptian officials, acting as mediators in the war, about the next phase of the fragile truce had been "positive".
A senior Hamas official has since confirmed to the Reuters news agency that there have been direct discussions with the US government about the fate of 21 year old hostage Edan Alexander, who holds American and Israeli citizenship.
Last week President Donald Trump said US officials were speaking to Hamas, and his Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff is expected to travel to the negotiations in Doha on Tuesday.
"Several meetings have already taken place in Doha, focusing on releasing one of the dual-nationality prisoners," Hamas official Taher Al-Nono told Reuters.
"We have dealt positively and flexibly, in a way that serves the interests of the Palestinian people.
"We informed the American delegation that we don't oppose the release of the prisoner within the framework of these talks."
The United States has previously avoided direct negotiations with groups such as Hamas, given they are a declared terrorist organisation under US law.
A screenshot of the face of a man in a video.
Edan Alexander is an Israeli-American hostage held by Hamas since its attack on Israel in October 2023. (Reuters: Hamas Military Wing/Handout)
'Phase two' negotiations delayed by weeks
Talks on 'phase two' of the Gaza ceasefire had stalled even before they properly began, with Hamas accusing Israel of avoiding the negotiations in an effort to scuttle the peace process.
The first phase of the ceasefire formally ended a week ago, and negotiations on the next steps were meant to start in early February — but never did.
Last Sunday, Israel blocked all aid entering Gaza, after Hamas rejected a proposal to temporarily extend the first phase of the ceasefire through to mid-April.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said it had been developed by Mr Witkoff, and that half of the remaining 59 hostages — living and dead — still held by Hamas in Gaza would have been released on day one of the extended ceasefire.
The remaining captives would have been freed once a permanent truce was brokered.
Hamas criticised the proposal, labelling it as a departure from the agreed phased approach to peace in Gaza and an attempt to further delay discussion on matters such as the full Israeli military withdrawal from the strip.
Over the weekend, Hamas spokesperson Hazem Qassem said it was up to Israel to "show seriousness" in the further negotiations, adding that direct talks with the United States could pressure Israel to shift its position.
Israeli strikes in Gaza have continued, despite the ceasefire officially holding in the war-ravaged strip.
On Sunday, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) confirmed it had killed a number of Palestinians in northern Gaza it said were "terrorists".
The IDF said they had been "attempting to plant an explosive device in the ground".
Rocket warning sirens rang out across near the town of Holit in southern Israel, near the Gaza border, early on Sunday morning.
The IDF soon said it was likely the result of IDF activity in the area, rather than anything being fired by Hamas out of Gaza.
Posted12m ago12 minutes agoSun 9 Mar 2025 at 1:55pm
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