Gaza hostage deal possible ‘within weeks,’ US envoy says after direct Hamas talks

A new Gaza ceasefire agreement, which would see Israel recover all hostages held by Hamas, could be reached within weeks, according to a US negotiator following rare direct talks with the Palestinian terrorist group.

A six-week truce, brokered by Qatar and Egypt, expired on March 2, bringing the region to the brink of reigniting a 17-month-long war. Efforts to establish a lasting ceasefire have stalled due to Israel’s insistence, supported by the US on ending Hamas’ governance and dismantling its military capabilities in Gaza.

Speaking to CNN, the US envoy Adam Boehler acknowledged that as a Jewish American it had been “odd” sitting face-to-face with leaders of a group that the United States has listed as a “terrorist” organization since 1997, but he did not rule out further meetings with the Palestinian militants.

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Boehler said he understood Israel’s “consternation” that the US had held talks at all with the group, but said he had been seeking to jump-start the “fragile” negotiations.

“In the end, I think it was a very helpful meeting,” he said, adding: “I think something could come together within weeks… I think there is a deal where they can get all of the prisoners out, not just the Americans.”

Boehler suggested there was a chance of further talks with the militants, telling CNN: “You never know. You know sometimes you’re in the area and you drop by.”

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The first phase of a truce revolving around the release of some hostages ended earlier this month, and both sides are disputing when to move into the second phase, which aims at a more permanent peace.

Boehler said he felt a “long-term truce” was “a reality. It’s real close.”

President Donald Trump’s special envoy Steve Witkoff told reporters at the White House last week that gaining the release of Edan Alexander, the 21-year-old man from New Jersey believed to be the last living American hostage held by Hamas in Gaza, was a “top priority for us”.

Alexander served as a soldier with the Israeli military. Israel and Hamas signaled on Saturday they were preparing for the next phase of ceasefire negotiations, as mediators pushed ahead with talks to extend the fragile 42-day truce that began in January.

A Hamas delegation met in the past two days with Egyptian mediators and reaffirmed its readiness to negotiate the implementation of the deal’s second phase.

With inputs from agencies