The direct meetings of the US President Donald Trump’s hostage with the Palestinian militant group Hamas about the release of hostages in Gaza have been a “unique situation” and so far “have no fruit,” said US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, on Monday (10).
“It was a unique situation where our special hostage envoy, whose job is to free people, had the opportunity to talk directly to someone who has control over these people and received permission and was encouraged to do so. He did that, ”Rubio told reporters before leaving for Saudi Arabia.
“So far, it has not been fruit. It doesn’t mean he was wrong to try, but our main vehicle for negotiations on this front will continue to be Mr. Witkoff and the work he is doing through Qatar, ”Rubio said, in reference to Trump’s special envoy to the Middle East Steve Witkoff.
Discussions between Adam Boehler and Hamas broke up with a Washington decades policy against negotiations with groups that the US qualifies as terrorist organizations.
A high Hamas employee told Reuters on Sunday that meetings between Hamas and Boehler leaders in recent days maintained by the militant group in Gaza.
Boehler said to CNN On Sunday, in an interview with Israel’s N12 channel, he said the Trump government was focused on taking all 59 hostages and ending the war.
Witkoff told reporters at the White House last week to get the release of Edan Alexander, a 21 -year -old from New Jersey who is believed to be the last living American hostage kept by Hamas in Gaza, was a “top priority for us.”
The Islamic Militant Group held a cross -border attack south of Israel on October 7, 2023, triggering an Israeli offensive in the Gaza Strip that killed more than 48,000 Palestinians, according to Gaza’s health authorities.
Hamas militants killed 1,200 people and took 251 hostages, according to Israeli counts.
