Hamas: U.S. talks focused solely on American-Israeli hostage Edan Alexander  

Hamas announced Sunday that its recent direct talks with the United States centered exclusively on the release of Edan Alexander, an Israeli-American soldier held captive, and the return of four American bodies still in the group’s possession.

The discussions, held over the past week in Doha, involved Khalil al-Hayya, a senior Hamas official, and Adam Boehler, an envoy of U.S. President Donald Trump. However, an Israeli source reported that the negotiations have since broken down, exposing tensions in a process that sidelined Israel.

Taher al-Nono, a political advisor to Hamas, told Reuters that the group approached the talks with flexibility, aiming to safeguard "Palestinian interests." He confirmed the focus was on Alexander, who holds dual citizenship, and hinted at broader discussions about ending the Israel-Hamas conflict. "We told the American delegation we’re not opposed to releasing the prisoner within this framework," Nono said, framing the talks as a limited but constructive exchange.

The revelation of direct U.S.-Hamas contact—unusual given Washington’s policy of avoiding formal dialogue with designated terror groups—stunned Israeli officials. A White House spokesperson clarified that Boehler’s mandate allows such engagements, aligning with Trump’s "America First" doctrine, as echoed last week by Steve Witkoff, a U.S. official who called Alexander’s release a top priority. The move has sparked concern in Jerusalem that American interests might overshadow Israel’s security needs in the volatile Gaza situation.

The talks’ collapse, reported in Israel within the last hour, adds another layer of complexity. Israel plans to dispatch a junior-level negotiation team as early as Monday, signaling a cautious response amid strained coordination with its key ally. Amid these developments, CNN is set to air an interview with Boehler, Trump’s special envoy for hostage affairs according to Israeli journalist Ben Yaniv. The broadcast may shed light on the U.S. perspective following the breakdown.

The development comes against a backdrop of heightened domestic scrutiny, with unrelated tragedies—like a senior police officer discovering his son’s death in a recent accident—underscoring a sense of national unease. For now, the fate of Alexander and the American remains hinges on a faltering diplomatic thread, leaving Israel to navigate an unexpected U.S. shift while managing its own ceasefire efforts.