White House spokesman Caroline Leavitt says the Trump administration consulted Israel before Hamas representatives and us.
A US delegation consulted with Hamas, White House spokesman Caroline Leavitt said on March 5th.
When she confirmed the news at a White House press conference briefing, Leavitt was faced with questions about how these talks with Hamas would oppose US policy towards negotiations with terrorist groups.
“Special envoys engaged in those negotiations have the authority to speak to anyone,” Levitt said.
She noted that the Trump administration notified the Israeli government of the meeting in advance.
During the White House press conference, Leavitt did not specify exactly when and where the meeting between the US envoy and Hamas representatives occurred, or where the meeting would go from here.
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Israel and Hamas are currently attacking Southern Israel on October 7, 2023, when Hamas attacked more than a year later in the Gaza Strip.
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During the first ceasefire stage, Hamas released dozens of hostages filmed in the October 2023 attack in return for hundreds of Palestinians detained in Israel. This early stage was aimed at negotiating time for many hostages still being held in Gaza, and the ultimate goal was to win their releases and put a permanent deadline for combat.
“These are ongoing consultations and discussions,” Leavitt said. “I’m not going to go into detail here. American lives are at risk.”
