Hamas says talks with US focused on release of American hostage in Gaza

By Nidal al-Mughrabi

CAIRO (Reuters) - Meetings between Hamas leaders and U.S. hostage negotiator Adam Boehler in recent days have focused on the release of an American-Israeli dual national being held by the militant group in Gaza, a senior Hamas official told Reuters on Sunday.

Taher Al-Nono, political adviser to the leader of the Palestinian group, confirmed the unprecedented, direct talks with Washington, saying the discussions had taken place in the Qatari capital over the past week.

"Several meetings have already taken place in Doha, focusing on releasing one of the dual-nationality prisoners. We have dealt positively and flexibly, in a way that serves the interests of the Palestinian people," Nono said.

He added that the two sides had also discussed how to see through the implementation of the phased agreement aimed at ending the Israel-Hamas war.

"We informed the American delegation that we don't oppose the release of the prisoner within the framework of these talks," Nono told Reuters.

President Donald Trump's special envoy Steve Witkoff told reporters at the White House last week that gaining the release of Edan Alexander, the 21-year-old man from New Jersey believed to be the last living American hostage held by Hamas in Gaza, was a "top priority for us".

Alexander served as a soldier with the Israeli military.

Israel and Hamas signaled on Saturday they were preparing for the next phase of ceasefire negotiations, as mediators pushed ahead with talks to extend the fragile 42-day truce that began in January.

A Hamas delegation met in the past two days with Egyptian mediators and reaffirmed its readiness to negotiate the implementation of the deal's second phase.

Israel also said it was sending negotiators to Doha on Monday for ceasefire talks.

DIRECT ENGAGEMENT

The discussions between U.S. hostage envoy Boehler and Hamas broke with a decades-old policy by Washington against negotiating with groups that the U.S. brands as terrorist organisations.

The Islamist militant group carried out a cross-border raid into southern Israel on October 7, 2023, triggering a devastating war in the Gaza Strip that has killed more than 48,000 Palestinians, according to Gaza health officials.

Hamas militants killed 1,200 people and took some 250 hostages, according to Israeli tallies.

Nono praised what he described as an "important role" played by Witkoff in reaching the January 19 ceasefire agreement that halted the fighting in Gaza.

"We hope that he (Witkoff) will work to succeed in the negotiation of the second phase," Nono said.

Under the ceasefire deal, Hamas has exchanged 33 Israeli hostages and five Thais for about 2,000 Palestinian prisoners and detainees. Israeli authorities believe fewer than half of the remaining 59 hostages are still alive.

Underscoring the fragility of the ceasefire, Gaza medics said one Palestinian was killed and two others were wounded on Sunday by Israeli fire in Shejaia in eastern Gaza City. The Israeli military said its air force struck several "terrorists" who operated near their forces and attempted to plant a bomb.

Seven others have been killed in the enclave since Thursday, according to Palestinian health officials.

The Israeli military said that in the past three days forces had struck suspects trying to plant a bomb, and that its aircraft had hit a drone that crossed from Israel into southern Gaza and "several suspects" who had tried to collect it.

(Reporting and writing by Nidal al-Mughrabi; Editing by Tomasz Janowski and Helen Popper)