Trump administration has been talking with Hamas, marking U-turn from prior U.S. policy

The United States broke a longstanding diplomatic taboo by holding secret talks with the militant Palestinian group Hamas on securing the release of U.S. hostages held in Gaza, sources told Reuters on Wednesday, while U.S. President Donald Trump warned of "hell to pay" should the Palestinian militant group not comply.

U.S. hostage affairs envoy Adam Boehler has the authority to talk directly with Hamas, the White House said when asked about the discussions, which broke with a decades-old policy against negotiating with groups that the U.S. brands as terrorist organizations.

Boehler and Hamas officials met in Doha in recent weeks, two sources briefed on the negotiations said. It was not clear who represented Hamas.

At the White House, Trump met a group of hostages who had been released recently under a Gaza ceasefire deal, and he issued a stark new threat against Hamas in a social media post.

He demanded that Hamas "release all of the hostages now, not later," including the remains of dead hostages, "or it is OVER for you."

"I am sending Israel everything it needs to finish the job, not a single Hamas member will be safe if you don't do as I say," he wrote. "Also, to the People of Gaza: A beautiful Future awaits, but not if you hold Hostages. If you do, you are DEAD! Make a SMART decision. RELEASE THE HOSTAGES NOW, OR THERE WILL BE HELL TO PAY LATER!"

Trump's warning echoed his "hell to pay" threat before his Jan. 20 return to the White House, which was followed by the ceasefire and hostages deal in mid-January that he claimed credit for before then-president Joe Biden left office.

Once again Trump did not specify exactly what action he might take if Hamas failed to comply.

Hamas has yet to comment on Trump's threats.

The U.S. had long avoided direct engagement with the militant group, which carried out a cross-border raid into southern Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, killing some 1,200 people and taking 251 hostages, triggering a devastating Gaza war. Israel's offensive has killed over 48,000 Palestinians, according to Gaza's Health Ministry. 

The U.S. State Department designated Hamas a terrorist organization in 1997.

One of the sources said the effort includes an attempt to gain the release of Edan Alexander of Tenafly, N.J., believed to be the last living American hostage held by Hamas. He appeared in a video published by Hamas in November 2024.

Four other U.S. hostages have been declared dead by Israeli authorities.

To date, the U.S. role in helping to secure a Gaza ceasefire and hostage release deal has been dealing with Israel and Qatari and Egyptian mediators but without any known direct communications between Washington and Hamas.