Hamas Reached Out to Pro-Trump Businessman to Mediate Secret Talks with Washington That Led to Alexander’s Release: Report

Gaza (Quds News Network)- Hamas reportedly approached Palestinian-American businessman and pro-Trump activist Bishara Bahbah to mediate secret talks with Washington that led to Monday’s release of American-Israeli soldier Edan Alexander, who had been held in Gaza.

The backchannel talks that led to the release of Alexander began with a message from a Hamas official to Bahbah, the former leader of “Arab Americans for Trump,” two Israeli officials, one Palestinian official and one U.S. official told Axios.

The Hamas official outside Gaza reached out to Bahbah, who helped Trump make inroads with Arab voters in 2024, in late April in hopes of striking up a dialogue with Trump envoy Steve Witkoff, according to Axios on Tuesday.

The backchannel took time to develop but began gaining momentum last week, a senior Israeli official told Axios.

Around 20 messages were passed between the sides in calls and texts to Bahbah over the last two weeks. Bahbah also spoke to Hamas chief negotiator Khalil al-Hayya, according to a source familiar.

Two Israeli officials told Axios that Israel found out about the secret talks about Alexander not from the White House but from its own intelligence services.

Alexander’s release was previously at the center of the first direct negotiations between Trump’s hostage envoy Adam Boehler and Hamas leaders in Qatar in March.

On April 22, Qatari Prime Minister Mohammed bin Abdul Rahman al-Thani visited the White House and met Witkoff and Trump. He raised a proposal supported by Hamas for a comprehensive deal to release all captives and end the war, but the U.S. message was that a shorter-term partial deal was the only game in town.

According to a Palestinian official, the Trump administration told Hamas that if Alexander was released the US would push for a 70 to 90-day ceasefire in return for the release of 10 captives.

Negotiations on a final deal would also begin during the ceasefire, the official said, and the U.S., Qatar and Egypt would guarantee the war wouldn’t resume as long as they continued.

According to two Israeli officials, when Trump spoke to Netanyahu on Monday, he didn’t press him to end the genocide or cancel the plans to expand the assault that Israel plans to launch once Trump’s trip ends.

“We told Witkoff he has four days to get a deal. Afterwards we are going in,” one Israeli official said.