JERUSALEM (JTA) — Any Palestinian government “must unambiguously and explicitly” commit to nonviolence, recognize Israel and accept previous agreements between Israel and the Palestinians, President Donald Trump’s envoy said.

The statement issued Thursday by Jason Greenblatt, President Donald Trump’s special envoy to the peace process, is the first response by the United States to the Palestinian reconciliation agreement between the Fatah Party of Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas and the terrorist Hamas, which controls the Gaza Strip. The Trump administration has been working to jump-start the peace talks, a stated major goal of the administration.

“If Hamas is to play any role in a Palestinian government, it must accept these basic requirements,” the statement said. The requirements, which also include a commitment to peaceful negotiations, represent the conditions originally set down by the Middle East Quartet, made up of the United Nations, the United States, the European Union, and Russia. The was established in 2002 to help shepherd peace negotiations between  Israel and the Palestinians.

Forwarding the News

Thoughtful, balanced reporting from the Forward and around the web, bringing you updated news and analysis each day.

Terms(Required)

I agree to the Forward's Terms of Service and Privacy Policy

Email(Required)

Hamas rejected the statement, telling then French news agency AFP that it represented “blatant interference” by the United States in Palestinian affairs.

A message from our CEO & publisher Rachel Fishman Feddersen

I hope you appreciated this article. Before you go, I’d like to ask you to please support the Forward’s award-winning, nonprofit journalism during this critical time.

The coming year promises to be filled with more complex and historic developments. We are entering an era where independent, fact-based Jewish journalism will be more important than ever. We need to be ready for whatever 2025 will bring, and with your help, we can be.

We’ve set a goal to raise $260,000 by December 31. That’s an ambitious goal, but one that will give us the resources we need to invest in the high quality news, opinion, analysis and cultural coverage that isn’t available anywhere else.

If you feel inspired to make an impact, now is the time to give something back. Join us as a member at your most generous level.

—  Rachel Fishman Feddersen, Publisher and CEO

With your support, we’ll be ready for whatever 2025 brings.

$36 $500

$120 $180 Other amount