Gaza US officials held several rounds of direct talks with Hamas leaders in Qatar since the start of the year, focusing on American hostages in Gaza while also addressing other topics such as the second phase of the ceasefire agreement,

The talks marked a significant departure for the United States, which has generally refused to talk directly with groups Washington has designated as terrorist organizations.

The discussions mark the first time the U.S. has held face-to-face talks with the militant group since Gaza war began.