WH Confirms Having Direct Talks With Hamas

White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt confirmed on Wednesday an Axios report that the Trump administration is holding direct negotiations with Hamas, The Hill has reported.

This is an unprecedented move by the United States, which has never before held direct talks with Hamas, which Washington declared as a terrorist organization in 1997, according to The Times of Israel.

Leavitt told reporters that "when it comes to the negotiations… the special envoy who's engaged in those negotiations does have the authority to talk to anyone," The Hill reported.

She added that "Israel was consulted on this matter. 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 has proven, what he believes is good-faith effort to do what's right for the American people."

Axios had said that Trump's special envoy for hostage negotiations, Adam Boehler, is speaking directly with Hamas officials over both the release of U.S. hostages in Gaza and a broader agreement to end the war with Israel.

A six-week truce between Israel and the terrorist organization is in an uneasy stage amid uncertainty over the next phase of talks and allegations of violations by both sides. Discussion on moving to a second phase of the ceasefire/hostage agreement has stalled, although fighting has not resumed.

Following the American confirmation of the direct negotiations with Hamas, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office said Israel "expressed its stance on direct talks with Hamas" in "contacts with the US," but did not give any further details, The Times of Israel reported.

Israel's Consul General in New York, Ofir Akunis, however, welcomed the report, telling Fox News that "there is a new attitude from the White House … against Hamas. They can talk with Hamas, that's OK."

Akunis emphasized that "President Trump actually changed the whole idea. Instead of putting Israel under pressure, President Trump is putting Hamas under pressure, and this is the right thing to do."

The consul general added that "if the White House wants to talk directly to Hamas and put them under pressure to release more hostages, we will be very happy to see more hostages with our families."