At a historic summit last week, lead negotiators from Hamas met directly with White House envoys. This featured Jared Kushner and Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff, representing the highest-level talks to ever take place between the two sides. Today’s meeting was a critical turning point. It cut a deal for the release of US-Israeli hostage Edan Alexander as well as the remains of four other Americans held by Hamas.
This historic conversation came about only after months of hard fighting. Those conversations were largely centered around developing a approach to establish peace in the still-escalating conflict in Gaza. Hamas’s deputy political chief Khalil al-Hayya had been the group’s key face during the negotiations. The Palestinian artist, who currently lives in Doha, recently survived an Israeli assassination attempt on his life. This event illustrates the overall hostile environment in which these negotiations are occurring.
During negotiations, Witkoff and Kushner pushed for an immediate hishg6_23ind hostage exchange. Witkoff reportedly informed Hamas that holding the hostages had become “more of a liability than an asset for you,” urging them to expedite their release as part of the peace process.
Kushner made a pretty audacious promise. He promised that the new American administration, steered by President Donald Trump, would keep Israel from resuming hostilities if only Hamas signed the peace accord. This commitment is a huge incentive for Hamas to disarm and join the rest of the region in pursuing stability.
“President Trump’s message is that you will be treated fairly and that he stands behind all 20 points of his peace plan and will make sure they are all implemented.” – Steve Witkoff
The summit included private round-tables chaired by the spy chiefs of Egypt, Turkey, and Qatar. After that last round of meetings, they sounded hopeful about progress towards a possible deal. According to an Axios source, one of these officials stated, “Based on the meeting we just had, we have a deal.”
Trump addressed these worries about what might happen to Hamas after the signing of the expected peace deal. He said that the militant group needs to disarm. He warned that if Hamas did not comply, “we will disarm them and it will happen quickly and perhaps violently.” He further asserted, “They will disarm, do you understand me?” demonstrating his administration’s dogged persistence to make disarmament a non-negotiable part of any peace deal.
Hamas has faced international scrutiny following its release of a video showing its members executing eight men accused of being “collaborators and outlaws.” These moves have expanded demands for accountability and a conversation about disarmament and police governance.
Hamas signs agreement with U.S. Hamas and U.S. envoys meet directly for first time Hamas and U.S. This much-needed fight follows Adam Boehler, U.S. envoy for hostages, meeting with Hamas leaders in Doha, Qatar earlier this year. The recent summit represents a significant shift in diplomatic relations and reflects a growing recognition of the need for dialogue amidst ongoing violence.