
US and Israeli officials are attempting to contain the escalating tensions behind the scenes following the unprecedented direct talks held by the US President Donald Trump administration with the Palestinian movement Hamas ahead of crucial negotiations on Gaza this week.White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt told Axios news site on Monday that President Trump fully backs and supports the talks his hostage envoy Adam Boehler held with Hamas, Middle East Monitor reported.But the administration is also signaling it doesnt want those talks and Israels anger over them to block other paths to a Gaza deal, added the news site.Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has refrained from publicly criticizing Trump since Axios revealed the US-Hamas talks last Wednesday.