U.S. considering negotiations with Hamas for hostage release without Israel - report
Families of hostages have reportedly found a more receptive ear for a hostage exchange deal in US President Joe Biden than in Israeli leaders
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The Biden administration has been in talks to secure a unilateral deal with Hamas for hostages released, sidelining Israel, according to a report in NBC Monday.
Four officials, two current and two former, said that the US is seeking a contingency plan for if the current indirect negotiations between Israel and Hamas fail to reach an agreement.
The mediation would be conducted through Qatar, the report said. The White House declined to comment.
Five US citizens are believed to be held by the terrorist group, which led the October 7 assault on southern Israel. The US is also hoping to secure the release of the remains of three other Americans whose bodies were taken on October 7.
It is unclear what the US will offer for the release of their hostages. One of the officials said that Israel may be pressured to accept a ceasefire if the US goes ahead behind its back to release Americans.
Relatives of Israelis held in Gaza complain of a lack of communictation with Israeli leaders, while Biden has been praised for his sensitivity to the issue.
The five American-Israelis held in Gaza are Edan Alexander, Sagui Dekel-Chen, Hersh Goldberg-Polin, Omer Neutra, and Keith Siegel.
Rachel Goldberg-Polin and Jon Polin, the parents of Hersh, released a statement that said they "welcome any negotiations that will lead to the return home of our loved ones who have been in captivity for over eight months. We pray that every family with hostages will be reunited with their loved ones imminently."
This comes after four Israeli hostages were freed in a complex Israeli operation from central Gaza.