US representatives held direct talks with Hamas in Qatar in a last-ditch effort to secure the release of Israeli-American hostage Edan Alexander, so that US President Donald Trump could present the success in his speech to Congress in March, The New York Times reported on Thursday.
However, sources confirmed to The NYT that the two sides missed the deadline for an agreement, meaning Trump was only able to briefly reference the Gaza hostages in his speech.
In March, senior officials from the Trump administration met with Hamas representatives in Qatar to discuss hostage negotiations, breaking from the longstanding US policy of not engaging directly with the terrorist organization, The NYT reported.
The report noted that Adam Boehler, Trump’s former nominee for envoy for hostage affairs and an adviser, first met with three Hamas officials in July, separately from the main Qatar discussions. The meeting, which took place in Jerusalem, saw Hamas representatives argue that the terrorist group was working to secure the freedom of Palestinians.
Two days after that initial meeting, Boehler met with Hamas’s chief negotiator, Khalil al-Hayya, who proposed an exchange deal: 250 Palestinian prisoners, including 100 serving life sentences, in return for Israeli hostages.
According to the sources, al-Hayya believed that the US could convince Israel to approve the deal.
Offer from US officials
Immediately after Trump's inauguration on January 20, Boehler planned a trip to Qatar for further talks. However, Israeli officials were soon aware of his plans, and the White House intervened to cancel the meeting, the NYT reported.
During the March discussions, Boehler regularly communicated with Trump's US Special Envoy to the Middle East, Steve Witkoff, as they worked towards ongoing negotiations.
By the latest round of talks on March 5, US officials had revised their offer. According to the NYT, the new proposal involved 100 Palestinian prisoners (without guarantees regarding life sentences) in exchange for Alexander, as well as the release of Palestinian women and children in return for the remains of four Israeli-American hostages. The proposal also included resuming aid deliveries to Gaza and initiating talks for the next phase of the ceasefire.
Boehler reportedly told Hamas that this offer was final. However, Hamas was not ready to close the deal.
Hamas responds and Israeli reacts
On March 14, Hamas expressed willingness to release Alexander, whom they referred to as a "Zionist soldier," alongside the remains of four other "dual-citizenship" hostages, the Post previously reported.
“We reaffirm our full readiness to engage in negotiations and reach a comprehensive agreement on the issues of the second phase, and call for obligating the occupation to fully implement its commitments,” Hamas stated.
However, soon after, Israel’s Prime Minister’s Office issued a statement criticizing Hamas’s refusal to comply with the agreement. “While Israel accepted the [US Middle East envoy Steve] Witkoff framework, Hamas persists in its refusal and continues to wage psychological warfare against hostage families,” the statement said, according to the Post.
In late March, a message was sent to Hamas through Qatari intermediaries in an effort to secure Alexander's release from Gaza. Both US and Israeli officials were involved in this effort, the Post added.
“There is no deal yet,” a US official confirmed, while an Israeli official said that the proposal was “more of an idea than a fully developed plan.”