Senior Trump administration representatives have held direct meetings with Hamas officials in recent months as part of ongoing efforts to negotiate the terrorist group’s disarmament, according to a report by Kan News. The report comes as Hamas is said to be taking a significantly tougher position in the negotiations, complicating efforts to reach an agreement.

According to the report, Aryeh Lightstone, who serves both as an adviser to President Donald Trump’s Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff and as an adviser to Trump’s Peace Council, met directly with senior Hamas official Khalil al-Hayya during the discussions.

Witkoff himself also previously held direct talks with al-Hayya, though those meetings reportedly focused on efforts to end the war and secure the release of all remaining hostages.

Israeli officials were aware of Lightstone’s meetings with the Hamas leader. According to a source familiar with the discussions, the meetings were part of the broader diplomatic initiative being led by former United Nations envoy Nickolay Mladenov aimed at securing Hamas’ disarmament.

Israeli sources told Kan News that Hamas has recently adopted a more rigid negotiating position. The talks have reportedly regressed considerably and are now centered on disagreements over what types of weapons would be classified as “heavy” or “light” arms under any future disarmament agreement.

Responding to the report, a spokesman for the Peace Council confirmed that negotiations have been ongoing in recent months.

“It is well known that in recent months, the Peace Council and its mediators have conducted several rounds of negotiations aimed at agreeing on a roadmap for disarmament in Gaza. We continue our diplomatic efforts to secure this objective while finalizing measures related to advancing governance, the rule of law, security, reconstruction, and economic development in Gaza,” the spokesman said.

{Matzav.com}