The U.S. has a longstanding policy against negotiating directly with a Foreign Terrorist Organization, a designation given to Hamas by the U.S. government in 1997.

The US on Wednesday confirmed unprecedented direct talks with Hamas on the release of hostages, as Israel threatened to renew its military campaign in Gaza despite a fragile ceasefire.

It's the first known direct engagement between the US and Hamas since the State Department designated the group a foreign terrorist organization in 1997