Washington's First Direct Talks with Hamas: A Shift in Strategy?

“It's time to stop this madness. It's time to halt the killing. It's time to end this senseless war. If you want to end wars you have to talk to both sides,” U.S. President Donald Trump stated in his first State of the Union address to Congress on March 4, 2025.

This comment appeared to be a “green light,” which was later revealed to be part of direct talks between Washington and Hamas for the first time. The narrow goal was to secure the release of four American-Israeli prisoners, while the broader aim was to arrange a new, long-term ceasefire in Gaza.

However, just 24 hours later, Trump reversed his stance, threatening the entire population of Gaza—not just Hamas—with death and genocide and said if Hamas doesn't release the captives, they will die.

Analysts, however, viewed Trump's threats as “part of the negotiation,” with the president known for using verbal threats to strengthen the U.S.'s position in any negotiation.

Direct Implications

Secretary of State Mark Rubio also made threats against Hamas, appearing with a “cross” on his forehead, as if declaring a crusade against the group.

Yet, some analysts considered Trump's threat just another aspect of the ongoing talks, which the U.S. administration confirmed it was holding directly with Hamas.

Israeli analyst Amir Tibon, writing for Haaretz on March 6, 2025, called Trump's recent threat against Hamas part of the negotiations.

“Israel” estimates there are 59 prisoners in Gaza, 24 of whom are still alive, while more than 9,500 Palestinians are held in Israeli prisons, suffering from torture, hunger, and medical neglect, resulting in many deaths, according to Palestinian and Israeli human rights reports.

The unprecedented move of the Trump administration engaging in direct talks with Hamas via a special envoy, aimed at securing the release of American prisoners and negotiating a long-term ceasefire to end the assault on Gaza, was seen as signaling two things:

First, Washington's belief that resuming the assault would not help secure the release of Israeli or American-Israeli prisoners. Second, Hamas remains strong and in control of Gaza.

In both cases, this American move is seen as an acknowledgment of Washington and Israeli Occupation’s failure, affirming that what the enemy couldn't take by war, they won’t get through threats and tricks, as said by a spokesperson for Hamas’s al-Qassam Brigades, Abu Obaida.

Direct negotiations mark a major win for the Palestinian Resistance, compelling the world’s most powerful nation to the table after its role in attempts to obliterate them and rain deadly Israeli bombs on Gaza.

“Trump doesn't want Netanyahu to lead the negotiations based on Israel's interests, but on America's interests. Therefore, Trump took control, especially after showing his frustration with Netanyahu's approach during the war, despite his strong support for Israel,” a source from Hamas told Al-Estiklal.

“Trump had previously criticized Netanyahu for hindering negotiations and forced him to accept the Gaza deal.”

The source also pointed out that Washington had business interests in stopping the destruction of Gaza and capitalizing on the current regional situation to continue its political and economic normalization with Arab states—something that would only happen if the region were calm and Israeli aggression ceased.

Palestinian analyst Saeed Ziad noted that direct talks between the U.S. administration and Hamas signaled that the Trump administration was dissatisfied with “Israel’s behavior” regarding the second phase of negotiations, considering these talks as an opportunity to reach an agreement and formulate a political vision for Gaza.

Ziad, in a post on March 5, described the historic meeting between Hamas and the U.S. administration as a recognition of Hamas as the most capable and influential party, marking a slap to “Israel” and Netanyahu specifically.

“The direct meeting would correct many of the misconceptions planted by the Israeli Occupation and several parties in the minds of the U.S. administration, and reveal that Hamas is not a demon with horns of fire, but rather humans with rights they are defending,” according to the analyst.

Ziad anticipated that the meeting would push forward the second-phase negotiations and that Netanyahu would send his delegation to negotiate in the coming days, as direct negotiations would be the alternative should indirect talks falter.

He also pointed out that the current Trump administration “takes a different approach from the previous Joe Biden administration, moving from the goal of eliminating Hamas to engaging with it, with the prisoners' issue breaking this historical taboo and paving the way for this first meeting.”

In a post on Facebook on March 5, Washington-based journalist Abdelrahman Youssef explained Trump’s negotiation maneuver of threatening Hamas on Truth Social, with three reasons.

The first reason is that “he wants to appease Netanyahu and Israel,” after they were angered by the leak of direct negotiations his envoy was holding with the movement in Doha, a meeting the Israeli side had no prior knowledge of, until it was exposed by Axios.

The second reason is that Trump's envoy, Witkoff, will go to revive the stalled second-phase negotiations, with a desire to extend the first phase and release more prisoners.

This would be done without delving into the complexities of the second phase, such as withdrawing from the Salah al-Din axis or discussing administrative matters within Gaza. It also includes instructing Egyptian and Qatari mediators to pressure Hamas into agreeing to bring additional prisoners into the ongoing negotiations.

The third reason is that Trump wants to address the people of Gaza and threaten them with death, aiming to break the popular support for resistance movements and justify forced or voluntary displacement if it occurs.

Haaretz described, on March 6, the direct U.S. talks with Hamas through its special envoy as a positive sign and an unprecedented step to save the lives of prisoners who, if the war resumes, would be killed in Israeli airstrikes.

Axios reported on March 5 that direct negotiations with Hamas, without Israeli Occupation’s approval, represent a step no previous U.S. administration has taken.

By threatening Hamas without addressing Israeli Occupation’s failure to uphold the Gaza agreement, Trump effectively disavows the accord brokered by the U.S., analysts said.

He did not refer to the three-phase ceasefire agreement but instead focused on threatening Hamas and all the people of Gaza, warning that they would face consequences if they did not release all prisoners, free of charge.

Others speculated that his statement might be linked to the occasion of receiving six Israeli prisoners released by Hamas at the White House, as a form of courtesy and a subtle way of taking credit for their release.

Israel Hayom quoted an informed Israeli source as saying, “Israel is extremely concerned about the U.S. administration's contacts with Hamas.”

Channel 12's correspondent described the news of direct U.S. negotiations with Hamas as an “earthquake” and “a major slap from Trump to Netanyahu.”

White House spokesperson Karoline Leavitt admitted that the U.S. is holding direct talks with Hamas, stating that President Trump believes this is the right thing for the American people.

U.S. analysts have characterized this as “pragmatism” on the part of the Trump administration to serve its interests, though it has been accompanied by “colonial” threats to kill and exterminate all of Gaza's population.

The Wall Street Journal revealed that “Israel” was kept in the dark about these meetings, while Netanyahu's government chose silence over openly challenging the Trump administration.

Trump's Threat

A case study of Trump suggests that he has long relied on his “smoke and mirrors” approach, issuing successive threats and belligerent statements that, in context, appear to be part of behind-the-scenes negotiations. These threats, while bold, are often followed by a swift backpedal.

Trump’s history of threats and opening the gates of hell demonstrates that he ultimately tends to climb down from his position.

Thus, his threats to kill not just Hamas but all of Gaza were part of this negotiation tactic, coming just two hours after the White House acknowledged unprecedented face-to-face talks with Hamas for the first time.

Trump’s Middle East envoy, Steve Witkoff, postponed his visit to the region for the second time to facilitate this direct negotiation with Hamas and reach results. He informed “Israel” that it was forbidden to resume fire before his visit, as U.S. newspapers interpreted his statements.

What’s more, Trump's larger regional project is “normalization,” and he wants to “cool” the Gaza front to ensure the success of his bigger agenda, despite the arrogant, devilish rhetoric and his open embrace of “ethnic cleansing” and “genocide” of Gaza’s population.

On Truth Social, Trump wrote with haughty language: “Shalom Hamas means hello and goodbye - you can choose. Release all the hostages now, not later, and immediately return all the dead bodies of the people you murdered, or it is OVER for you.”

“I'm sending Israel everything it needs to finish the job [killing], not a single Hamas member will be safe [assassinations] if you don’t do as I say [..] This is your last warning!”

Trump threatened Hamas leaders, saying: “Now is the time to leave Gaza while you still have a chance.” Then, he threatened all Gaza residents, saying: “A beautiful Future awaits, but not if you hold hostages. If you do, you are DEAD. Make a smart decision. Release the hostages now or there will be hell to pay later.”

This has been described as a threat from the world’s most powerful empire to commit a massacre against innocent civilians in Gaza—a war crime.

Behind the Negotiations

According to Palestinian sources, U.S. Special Envoy for Hostage Affairs, Adam Boehler, during his meeting with some Hamas leaders in Qatar, who are managing the negotiations around prisoners, discussed a “limited deal” for the release of American prisoners only.

The sources confirmed to Al-Estiklal that Boehler directly requested the release of four American prisoners, all of whom are military personnel in the Israeli army. He did not mention any other condition except for the extension of the ceasefire until their release and the suspension of an imminent Israeli military operation.

However, Hamas proposed a “broader deal” during the talks, which included completing the second and third phases of the ceasefire agreement, of which only the first phase had been implemented. The talks were exploratory and did not reach any conclusions in their first session.

Taher al-Nunu, media adviser to Hamas' political chief, told Al Jazeera Mubasher that the meeting with U.S. officials was a positive step for regional stability, welcoming any shift in Washington's stance.

Al-Nunu stated that “there is a shift in the U.S. political rhetoric, different from previous administrations, with a tendency to create a comprehensive deal in the region.”

He attributed this to “the Arab position and popular pressure that could push Trump to change his plan concerning displacement.”

Two sources told Reuters on March 5, 2025, that the talks focused on the release of American prisoners in Gaza, including Edan Alexander, the last surviving American hostage.

However, the discussions also included talks about a broader agreement for the release of all remaining hostages and how to reach a long-term ceasefire.

Axios also reported on March 5, citing sources from the Trump administration, confirming direct talks with Hamas for the release of American prisoners and the potential for a broader agreement to end the war.

The Wall Street Journal stated that the first contact between U.S. negotiator Boehler and Hamas was in February 2025 in Qatar, which included a request for the release of American hostages. Hamas responded by releasing Israeli-American Sagui Dekel Chen.

The move by the U.S. administration to negotiate directly with Hamas marks a shift in U.S. policy, as the United States had classified Hamas as a foreign terrorist organization in 1997.

U.S. envoy Witkoff, in an interview with CNN on March 6, 2025, avoided discussing the outcome of the negotiations.

However, he said the U.S. administration does not believe Hamas was upfront in the negotiations, implicitly indicating Washington's dissatisfaction with the talks.

“Unfortunately, what we learned is that Hamas told us they were going to be thinking about it a certain way [...] That’s important information for us to have. And so came the tweet from the president,” Witkoff said, referencing Trump’s ultimatum from Wednesday night warning Hamas of destruction if it didn’t immediately release the hostages.

This implicitly confirms what sources told Al-Estiklal, that Hamas had requested the expansion of the deal to include an exchange of all prisoners in return for a halt to aggression and reconstruction.

The United States has often stated it does not negotiate with terrorist organizations, but there have always been exceptions, with both the Obama and Trump administrations negotiating with the Taliban, despite its terrorist designation following the September 11, 2001 attacks.