Secret Communication: The Unlikely Connection Between a Jewish Man and a Hamas Leader

A Jewish man from New York City and a Hamas leader had maintained a secret backchannel for 17 years to help end conflicts between Israel and Hamas. Gershon Baskin, an Israeli peace activist, and Ghazi Hamad, the deputy foreign minister for Hamas, initially connected to secure the release of a kidnapped Israeli soldier. However, their friendship ended after Hamad publicly endorsed the October 7 attacks and called for more violence. Despite their differences, their communication had helped resolve several conflicts in the past.