US Holds Secret Talks With Hamas Over Gaza Hostage As Israel Appoints New Military Chief
The Trump administration has reportedly engaged in confidential negotiations with Hamas concerning the doable launch of U.S. hostages held in Gaza, in response to a report by Axios on Wednesday. The discussions, which mark a historic first for the US, had been held in Doha over the previous few weeks by Adam Boehler, the U.S. presidential envoy for hostage affairs, mentioned media stories.
This improvement is important as a result of the US has by no means immediately engaged with Hamas earlier than, having designated it a terrorist group in 1997. The US had earlier held talks with Taliban with respect to Afghanistan as properly.
Whereas President Trump has persistently taken a hardline stance towards Hamas, warning of extreme penalties and even suggesting a possible U.S. takeover of Gaza, these behind-the-scenes negotiations sign an unprecedented shift in strategy.
At present, Hamas holds 59 hostages in Gaza, with the Israel Protection Forces (IDF) confirming that 35 are deceased. Among the many remaining captives, 5 are Americans.
In the meantime, in a separate improvement, Israel has sworn in Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir as the brand new navy chief of workers, changing Lt. Gen. Herzi Halevi, who resigned following the October 7, 2023 Hamas assault on southern Israel, which triggered the continuing warfare in Gaza.
The swearing-in ceremony in Jerusalem was overseen by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who reiterated Israel’s dedication to reaching “whole victory” towards Hamas and different Iran-backed armed teams.
In the course of the ceremony, Halevi acknowledged the navy’s failures on October 7, emphasizing the necessity for a nationwide fee of inquiry to research the safety lapses that led to the devastating assault. Whereas the Israeli navy and intelligence company Shin Wager have carried out their very own evaluations, Halevi burdened that an impartial nationwide probe, together with political management, is important to establish the foundation causes and implement reforms.
