US officials met with Hamas leaders, along with Egyptian and Qatari mediators, on Wednesday night to discuss post-war governance in Gaza and the possible progression to the second phase of a hostage deal, according to two Egyptian officials cited by Reuters.
The talks reportedly ended on a positive note, raising hopes for progress. However, an Israeli official disputed this, stating, “We are not aware of any progress in talks on the second phase of the deal.”
Hamas spokesman in Gaza, Hazem Qassem, told the Qatari Al-Arabi channel on Thursday that “Trump’s threats are complicating the ceasefire.” He added that “if he wants to release the hostages, he must pressure Netanyahu to begin negotiations on the second phase of the agreement.”
Qassem also expressed concern that Israel might “exploit Trump’s statements to escalate the siege on Gaza and intensify its policy of starving its population.”
After meeting on Wednesday with eight hostages who were released from Hamas captivity, Trump called on Hamas to immediately release the hostages who remain in captivity. Trump delivered a strong message to Hamas in a Truth Social post on Wednesday, demanding the immediate release of all hostages (Trump Issues ‘Last Warning’ to Hamas).
“‘Shalom Hamas’ means both Hello and Goodbye—you decide,” Trump wrote, adding, “Release all hostages now, not later, and return the bodies of those you murdered immediately, or it’s OVER for you.”
“‘Shalom Hamas’ means Hello and Goodbye – You can choose. Release all of the Hostages now, not later, and immediately return all of the dead bodies of the people you murdered, or it is OVER for you. Only sick and twisted people keep bodies, and you are sick and twisted! I am… pic.twitter.com/88EjVAyWAe
— President Donald J. Trump (@POTUS) March 5, 2025
Simultaneously, American and Egyptian officials were discussing potential options for Gaza’s future government, including possible candidates for leadership. Two Egyptian sources told Reuters that the talks concluded “in a positive atmosphere” but did not provide details on any agreements reached.
However, Israel denies reports of progress in the talks. Officials in Jerusalem maintain that there has been no significant change in negotiations for the release of hostages held in Gaza. An Israeli source told News14, “We do not recognize any progress in the talks on phase two,” contradicting Egyptian sources who conveyed a more optimistic outlook.
Foreign Minister Gideon Saar stated on Tuesday that Israel is prepared to move forward with the second phase of the Gaza ceasefire deal, provided that Hamas agrees to release more of the 59 hostages it is still holding.
