High-stakes talks between the US and Hamas, held in Doha, Qatar, over the past week, have centered around the possible release of Edan Alexander, a 21-year-old Israeli-American hostage believed to be the last living US citizen held by Hamas in Gaza. Hamas political adviser Taher Nunu confirmed the meetings, saying, “We have dealt positively and flexibly, in a way that serves the interests of the Palestinian people.” His remarks, filled with diplomatic posturing, starkly contrast the brutality Hamas continues to unleash in the region.

This extraordinary move by the Trump administration marks a mindboggling shift in policy, breaking a decades-old US stance against negotiating with terrorists. Since 1997, Hamas has been officially designated a terrorist organization by the US government, yet now, American envoys are sitting across the table from the very leaders who orchestrated the slaughter of over 1,200 Israelis and the abduction of hundreds more.

Hamas has made it clear that the release of hostages is contingent on Israeli withdrawal from Gaza, an end to the war, and a total ceasefire—essentially granting the terror group total victory. According to Hamas spokesman Hazem Qassem, while the group “does not mind” releasing Israeli hostages with American citizenship, it would only happen as part of a “comprehensive agreement.”

Israel, meanwhile, has refused to enter phase two of negotiations, recognizing that Hamas’s demands are nothing short of surrender. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government has maintained that any agreement requiring Israel’s withdrawal from Gaza in exchange for hostages is a non-starter. Instead, Netanyahu has dispatched a delegation to Doha, led by hostage negotiator Gal Hirsch and senior security officials, to hold parallel discussions aimed at securing the release of more than 24 living hostages and the bodies of 35 others still held in Gaza.

As the White House ramps up pressure on Israel to agree to a new ceasefire, concerns are growing that the Trump administration is prioritizing American hostages over the dozens of Israeli captives still in Hamas’s hands. US Special Envoy Adam Boehler has downplayed Israel’s opposition to the talks, insisting that his negotiations with Hamas were “coordinated” with Jerusalem—an assertion Israeli officials dispute.

“We were blindsided,” one Israeli official told The Times of Israel. “We found out about the talks after they had already begun. This was not coordination—it was an ambush.”

Boehler, for his part, appears to be embracing Hamas’s rhetoric, repeatedly referring to Israeli hostages as “prisoners” while using the term “hostages” to describe Palestinian prisoners held in Israel—a move that echoes Hamas’s own propaganda. When pressed about Israeli criticism, Boehler brushed it aside, mocking Israeli Minister of Strategic Affairs Ron Dermer, saying, “If it was a big deal every time Dermer got a little bit upset… Ron might have a lot of big deals every day.”

Perhaps the most disturbing revelation from the ongoing negotiations is Hamas’s new proposal, which Boehler has shockingly described as “not a bad first offer.” According to him, Hamas is now offering a five- to ten-year truce with Israel, during which it would disarm and withdraw from political control in Gaza in exchange for a massive prisoner swap. Under this plan, the US and other international actors would be responsible for ensuring Hamas complies.

But why should Hamas be trusted? After repeatedly breaking ceasefires, violating agreements, and continuing its relentless pursuit of Israel’s destruction, why should Washington believe that Hamas will honor any deal?

The move also raises serious moral and strategic questions. If the US is now willing to negotiate directly with Hamas, what precedent does that set for future hostage situations? Will American adversaries worldwide—whether Iran, Hezbollah, or even al-Qaeda—now expect the US to sit at the table and negotiate their terms?

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