How Were Hamas-US Talks Organized? A Look Behind the Scenes

An Israeli news report Monday shed light on who organized direct talks between the US and Hamas terrorists.

Bishara Bahbah, an American of Palestinian descent who supports President Donald Trump, established direct communication channels between Hamas leaders abroad and the Trump administration, i24 reported Monday. He played a pivotal role in initiating the talks between mideast Steve Witkoff and Khalil al-Hayya, deputy to Yahya Sinwar, who leads Hamas in Gaza.

The report detailed how Bahbah built new ties between the U.S. and Hamas — with Qatari involvement also playing a part.

Born in Jerusalem in 1958, Bahbah’s family had previously fled the Old City to Jordan before returning to live within the city walls. In the 1970s, he co-founded the newspaper Al Odeh with Palestinian journalist Raymonda Tawil, mother of Suha Arafat, the widow of Yasser Arafat. The newspaper, which was also published in English for American audiences, became instrumental in fostering the early stages of U.S.-Hamas engagement.

Bahbah and Tawil’s work caught the attention of the Palestinian leadership during the 1980s. This led to Bahabah being selected to take part in the Israel-Palestinian peace negotiations between 1991 and 1993, which ultimately resulted in the Oslo Accords.

Bahbah earned degrees in Middle Eastern studies and international relations from Harvard University, where he later served as deputy director of the Middle East Institute. Initially aligned with the Democratic Party, Bahabah became disillusioned with President Barack Obama’s Middle East policies and eventually became a Republican.

In 2024, he founded the group Arab Americans for Donald Trump, despite his previous frustration over Trump’s decision to relocate the U.S. Embassy to Jerusalem. As one associate explained, “He was very angry with the Republicans, but he was angrier with the Democrats.”

During his time with the organization, Bahbah connected with Masad Boulos, whose son married a daughter of Donald Trump. According to sources who spoke to i24, “Boulos did not show energy and vitality and was not enthusiastic, and therefore lost the position of advisor on Arab affairs to Bishara, who managed to catch Trump’s eye when he organized the campaign for him in Michigan and greatly assisted the Republicans and Trump’s victory over Kamala Harris.”