U.S. confirms direct talks with Hamas over American hostages; says Israel consulted

White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt speaks with reporters in the James Brady Press Briefing Room at the White House, on March 5, 2025, in Washington.
| Photo Credit: AP

The White House confirmed Wednesday (March 5, 2025) that a U.S. envoy spoke directly with Hamas to secure American hostages, a break in policy for Washington which considers the Palestinian militants a terrorist organization.

“Israel was consulted on this matter, and 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 right,” White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt told reporters.

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She said that the U.S. hostage envoy, Adam Boehler, “does have the authority to talk to anyone,” despite the usual U.S. ban on dealing with terrorist groups.

“There are American lives at stake,” she said.

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Axios first reported on the talks, saying that Mr. Boehler met Hamas representatives in the Qatari capital Doha in recent weeks.

While focused on securing the release of hostages, he discussed freeing them as part of a long-term truce, the news site said, citing anonymous sources.