by Emmitt Barry, Worthy News Correspondent
(Worthy News) – President Donald Trump defends his administration’s direct negotiations with Hamas, stating, ‘We are helping Israel in those discussions because we’re talking about Israeli hostages.’ However, Israel opposes these negotiations, according to an official familiar with the matter, according to The Times of Israel (ToI).
Direct negotiations between the US and Hamas have faced challenges after details were leaked on Wednesday, a government official told the ToI. These unprecedented talks aim to secure the release of American-Israeli hostage Edan Alexander and the remains of American-Israelis Itay Chen, Omer Neutra, Gadi Haggai, and Judi Weinstein.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu expressed dissatisfaction after Israel was not fully briefed on US-Hamas direct talks, which were first disclosed by an Axios report. The Israeli Prime Minister’s office issued a brief statement reiterating Israel’s stance against direct negotiations with Hamas.
While signing executive orders in the Oval Office on Thursday, Trump told reporters, “We’re not doing anything in terms of Hamas. We’re not giving cash.” He emphasized the distinction between payment and negotiation, stating, “You have to negotiate. There’s a difference between negotiating and paying. We want to get these people out.”
“We have 59 left—of which 24 are living. The rest are dead… Those 24 who are living… they said they’re in very bad shape,” Trump disclosed, highlighting the dire conditions of the hostages.
He added, “I put out a statement that’s self-explanatory,” referring to his ultimatum demanding Hamas immediately release the remaining hostages or face severe consequences.
“Somebody’s going to have to get a lot rougher than they’re getting. It’s a shame.” Trump further expressed his urgency to rescue the hostages, saying, “We want to get these people out. If you would have seen the people yesterday… the way they spoke about their captivity, it was unbelievable. It’s terrible.”
Adam Boehler, US President Donald Trump’s hostage envoy, has been conducting negotiations with Hamas in Doha, marking a significant shift from the long-standing US policy of not engaging with Hamas, a group designated as a terrorist organization by Washington and many Western countries.
Copyright 1999-2026 Worthy News. This article was originally published on Worthy News and was reproduced with permission.
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