The US envoy who held unprecedented direct talks with Hamas said Sunday the meeting had been "very helpful" and he was confident a hostage release deal could be reached "within weeks."

Speaking to CNN, Adam Boehler acknowledged that as a Jewish American it had been "odd" sitting face-to-face with leaders of a group that the United States has listed as a "terrorist" organization since 1997, but he did not rule out further meetings with the Palestinian militants.

Boehler said he understood Israel's "consternation" that the United States had held talks at all with the group, but said he had been seeking to jump-start the "fragile" negotiations.

"In the end, I think it was a very helpful meeting," he said, adding: "I think something could come together within weeks... I think there is a deal where they can get all of the prisoners out, not just the Americans."

Boehler suggested there was a........

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