New details on direct talks between Hamas and US government
According to the English section of webangah News Agency, citing Mehr News Agency and Al-Mayadeen, a Hamas leader stated in an interview with Al-Mayadeen that talks began in February between Adam Boehler, the U.S. President’s envoy for detainee affairs, and figures close to Hamas.
The mediator for these negotiations was a Palestinian businessman named Bashar al-Masri, a friend of Boehler.
The unnamed Hamas leader explained that negotiators focused on Hamas’s viewpoint, the potential release of Aidan Alexander—an American-Zionist detainee—and Hamas’s stance on Washington’s role and ending the war in Gaza.
Following these discussions, another meeting took place between Boehler and senior Hamas officials, including Osama Hamdan, Taher al-Nunu, and Basem Naim.
A separate meeting was also held between Boehler and Khalil al-Hayya, head of the Palestinian negotiating delegation, with Bashar al-Masri present.
The Palestinian leader emphasized to Al-mayadeen that Washington demanded Alexander’s release—a U.S. military member serving in the Zionist regime’s army—in exchange for pressuring Israel to halt hostilities. However, Hamas insisted on freeing 250 Palestinian prisoners as well.
The source added that former U.S. President Donald Trump sought an agreement before his annual address but faced sabotage due to Zionist intervention and harsh criticism against Boehler, derailing negotiations.
The leader stressed that Israel rejects cooperation with any outcomes from these talks. By late April 2024, communication resumed between Hamas and Washington through a new channel involving Bashar Bahbeh (Behbeh), a Palestinian-American from Jerusalem who received official authorization from Washington to negotiate Alexander’s release.
Sustained Communication Channel
A specialized source confirmed an active backchannel exists between Hamas and the U.S., facilitated by Bahbeh as it’s primary liaison while Suha Arafat (widow of late PLO leader Yasser Arafat) played a key role two months ago in connecting him with Ghazi Hamad from Hamas’s political bureau.
Yesterday reports emerged about renewed ceasefire/prisoner-swap negotiations after Steve Witkopf (Trump’s special envoy) led an american delegation alongside Israeli negotiators visiting Qatar recently.
