The United States has expressed a willingness to directly meet with a high-ranking Hamas official responsible for the hostage dossier, to discuss the release of Israeli-American citizen Idan Alexander and the release of the bodies of other kidnapped individuals with US citizenship still in Gaza. This was reported by the Emirati website Aram News, citing Arab diplomatic sources.
According to the report, which has not been confirmed by other sources, the US request was relayed to one of the mediators last week and the meeting could take place in the coming days. Sources state that the American initiative comes as a result of Israeli delays in reaching an agreement.
The sources told the Emirati media that they do not know what the United States could offer Hamas in exchange for the release of Alexander and the bodies of Judith Weinstein, her husband Gadi Haggai, Omer Neutra, and Itay Chen. On Wednesday, the Trump administration’s envoy for hostage release, Adam Boehler, stated that “it is possible” that his direct talks with Hamas could resume.
This is Boehler’s first interview after several weeks of silence, following protests in Jerusalem over the unprecedented direct negotiations between the US and Hamas. Israel only became aware of those talks after they had taken place, leading Strategic Affairs Minister Ron Dermer to have a furious phone call with Boehler, criticizing him for negotiating on behalf of Israel without keeping Jerusalem informed.
However, Boehler stated in Wednesday’s interview that the offer made in early March for the five American hostages was “coordinated with Israel.” Last Sunday, Hamas released a video of a emaciated and emotional Alexander pleading with the Israeli and US governments to secure his release, after over a year and a half of captivity. On Monday, Hamas claimed to have lost contact with the agents holding Alexander captive in Gaza following an Israeli attack, without providing further updates.
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