Trump negotiating directly with Hamas

Exclusive: U.S. holding secret talks with Hamas

The Trump administration has been holding direct talks with Hamas over the release of U.S. hostages held in Gaza and the possibility of a broader deal to end the war, two sources with direct knowledge of the discussions tell Axios.

Why it matters: The talks — held by U.S. presidential envoy for hostage affairs Adam Boehler — are unprecedented. The U.S. had never before engaged directly with Hamas, which it designated a terrorist organization in 1997 ...

Will it make a difference in getting the hostages out? I don't know, but I do think there needs to be a change from how the Biden administration dealt with (or didn't deal with) Hamas. For over a year they never threatened Hamas, never considered any overt action against them. It felt to me like Biden was more concerned about Arab American voters than he was about American hostages.