White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt says the Trump administration consulted with Israel ahead of U.S. talks with Hamas representatives.
A U.S. delegation has entered into talks with Hamas, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said on March 5.
As she confirmed the news at a White House press briefing, Leavitt faced questions about how these talks with Hamas may conflict with U.S. policies against negotiating with terrorist groups. The U.S. government officially designated Hamas, a political and militant faction within Palestinian society, as a foreign terrorist organization in 1997.
“The special envoy who’s engaged in those negotiations does have the authority to talk to anyone,” Leavitt stated.
She added that the Trump administration notified the Israeli government of the talks ahead of time.
Israel and Hamas are presently in a state of cease-fire following the Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas attacks across southern Israel and more than a year of fighting that has ensued in the Gaza Strip.
The current cease-fire was intended to serve as the first phase of what was meant to be a more long-term resolution to hostilities between Israel and Hamas.
In the first cease-fire phase, Hamas released dozens of hostages they had taken in the October attacks in return for hundreds of Palestinians who have been detained by Israel. This initial phase was meant to allow time for negotiations for more hostages still being held in Gaza, with the ultimate goal of winning their release and bringing the fighting to a permanent close.
Talks of a second phase to this cease-fire have stalled as Hamas has rejected Israeli proposals for the next steps forward. In turn, Israeli forces have clamped down on the flow of humanitarian supplies to the war-ravaged Gaza Strip.
Leavitt declined to provide specifics about the scope of the current U.S. talks with Hamas, including whether negotiators would discuss Trump’s proposal for the United States to take control of the Gaza Strip and oversee its reconstruction after a permanent cease-fire is reached.
“These are ongoing talks and discussions. I’m not going to detail them here. There are American lives at stake,” Leavitt said.
This is a developing story and will be updated with additional details.