According to an NBC News report, the Biden Administration discussed going around Israel to negotiate directly with Hamas to secure the release of five American hostages in Gaza.
From The New York Post:
The negotiations would be conducted through Qatar, which has helped free American hostages in the past, two current senior US officials and two former officials briefed on the discussions told NBC News in a report published Monday.
The US would seek to free Israeli Americans Edan Alexander, Sagui Dekel-Chen, Hersh Goldberg-Polin,Omer Neutra and Keith Siegel, as well as secure the bodies of three other Israeli Americans believed to have been killed during the Oct. 7 terrorist attack: Itay Chen, Judy Weinstein and Gad Haggai.
Goldberg-Polin’s parents, Rachel and Jon, said they welcome an American deal to free their son, a 23-year-old dual Israeli citizen who had one of his arms amputated after his abduction.
…
Although it remains unclear what America could give Hamas in exchange for the hostages’ release, officials said the terror group could find a deal attractive as a means to further strain relations between the US and Israel and undermine Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
“We have seen the reports that the US administration is considering negotiating directly with Hamas on freeing US citizens from captivity in Gaza,” the parents said in a statement.
“We welcome any negotiations that will lead to the return home of our loved ones who have been in captivity for over 8 months,” they said. “We pray that every family with hostages will be reunited with their loved ones imminently.”
More over at The New York Post:
Biden admin has discussed negotiating directly with Hamas to free five US hostages: report https://t.co/g8nOAEse6d pic.twitter.com/7dgM7yhD0G
— New York Post (@nypost) June 10, 2024
Thank you for visiting