The White House confirmed it held unprecedented direct talks with Hamas in an effort to secure the release of the last remaining American hostages trapped in Gaza.For the first time since 1997, US officials have engaged directly with the militant group – a moment that could become a diplomatic breakthrough as Hamas and Israel clash over the next phase of the ceasefire.

The direct engagement comes as continuation of the Israel-Hamas ceasefire remains uncertain. Trump has signaled that he has no intentions of pushing Netanyahu away from a return to combat if Hamas doesn’t agree to terms of a new ceasefire proposal, which the Israelis have billed as being drafted by U.S. envoy Steve Witkoff.