President Donald Trump’s administration dispatched Adam Boehler, Washington’s point man on American captives held overseas, to discuss the fate of the country’s captives, who are held in Gaza, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said on Wednesday.
"Engaging in discussions globally to serve the best interests of the American people is something the President believes in," she said during a press briefing. "The President believes it is the right thing for the American people," she added.
The remarks came while the United States has designated Hamas as a “terrorist organization.”
It took the move in 1997 due to the movement’s unyielding resolve to resist US-backed Israeli occupation and aggression.
The resolve has featured the group and its fellow resistance factions conducting numerous and incessant successful operations against the Israeli regime, Washington’s most cherished regional ally, facing up to Tel Aviv’s genocidal atrocities as well as other war crimes and crimes against humanity against Palestinians.
Leavitt, however, claimed that Boehler, in his capacity as captive affairs’ envoy, "has the authority to speak with any relevant parties."
The remarks came hours after American website Axios carried a report pointing to the discussions, citing “sources familiar with the matter.”
According to the sources, the report had said, Boehler had conducted clandestine meetings with Hamas’ officials in the Qatari capital Doha over recent weeks.
The primary focus of the discussions was the release of the American captives, with a purported potential to also cover a comprehensive truce in Gaza, it had added.
The Israeli regime began taking the Palestinian territory under a genocidal war in October 2023.
A ceasefire agreement began being implemented in January after the regime approved of the deal amid numerous successful operations by Hamas and Gaza’s other resistance groups against the invading Israeli forces as well as sensitive and strategic Israeli targets.
The regime, though, has been routinely violating the accord, killing hundreds more Palestinians in addition to the roughly 48,000 people, mostly women and children, whom it had killed during the war.
Still addressing the issue of discussions between the US and Hamas, Leavitt noted that "Israel was consulted on this matter."
Axios’ report had, however, claimed that “while the Trump administration [had] consulted with Israel about the possibility of engaging with Hamas, Israel learned about aspects of the talks through other channels.”
The claim came despite overt and comprehensive intelligence cooperation between Washington and Tel Aviv, which is aimed at boosting the two sides’ robust military and political collaboration.
Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office also acknowledged the reported discussions, saying the regime had expressed its views on the issue.
As of now, Hamas is reportedly holding 59 captives in Gaza, down from 240 Zionists, whom Palestinian fighters ensnared during a historic resistance operation targeting the occupied Palestinian territories on October 7, 2023.
MNA/
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