American hostages

US government now in talks with Hamas

Hamas fighters(Bild: AFP/Omar AL-QATTAA)

The US government has announced that it is holding direct talks with the Islamist Hamas. Special envoy Steve Witkoff is authorized to speak with anyone, said Trump's press secretary Karoline Leavitt.

This is the first time the White House has negotiated directly with the terrorist organization. Israel's government had been consulted on the matter, Leavitt said. She did not want to comment on the content of the talks. US President Donald Trump fundamentally believes in dialog "with people all over the world" in the interests of Americans, Leavitt said.

"Israel has communicated its position to the United States regarding direct talks with Hamas," the Israeli government commented vaguely on the talks. Previously, Hamas circles had confirmed that there had been contact with the White House regarding American hostages and an agreement to end the war in the Gaza Strip. No agreement has yet been reached. Hamas is classified as a terrorist organization by the US government.

Sanctions decided against Houthi members
The US government has also imposed sanctions against the Yemeni Houthi militia. "The leaders of the Houthi militia have demonstrated their intention to continue their reckless and destabilizing actions in the Red Sea," said US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent. The sanctions affect seven high-ranking members of the militia and one man with links to the group. They are accused of smuggling weapons. The liaison officer is alleged to have recruited civilians to fight on Russia's side in Ukraine.

On Tuesday, the White House put the Houthi militia back on its list of foreign terrorist organizations. This allows the US judiciary to prosecute any cooperation. The terrorist organization controls a large part of Yemen and has repeatedly attacked ships in the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden as well as targets in Israel with drones and missiles since the beginning of the Gaza war. It supports Hamas.