The Trump administration has established direct communication channels with Hamas to negotiate the release of US hostages held in Gaza and discuss a potential broader deal to end the war, two sources with inside knowledge of the discussions told The Jerusalem Post.

US special envoy for hostage affairs Adam Boehler is leading the negotiations, focusing primarily on American-Israeli captives among the 59 hostages still being held in Gaza.

US-based Axios noted that these discussions represent an unprecedented diplomatic development, as the United States had never before engaged directly with Hamas since designating it as a terrorist organisation in 1997.

The US publication added that meetings between Boehler and Hamas officials have occurred in Doha in recent weeks.

While the Trump administration consulted with Israel about the possibility of such engagement, Israeli officials reportedly learned about certain aspects of the talks through alternative channels, one source claimed.

“If the White House wants to talk directly with Hamas to put pressure on them to release more hostages - we would be happy to see more hostages released,” Ofir Akunis, the Israeli consul in New York, stated in an interview with Fox News, indicating Israel's cautious approval of the American initiative.

US reports cited by N12 claimed that Steve Witkoff, Trump's envoy to the Middle East, plans to visit the region in the coming days to extend the deal and secure the release of additional hostages.

The diplomatic push follows President Trump's meeting with a delegation of hostage survivors in the Oval Office, where they detailed their experiences in Hamas captivity and urged the President to secure the freedom of those still held.