DEMARCHE DELIVERED: HOST COUNTRY MEETINGS WITH

C O N F I D E N T I A L NAIROBI 000818 SIPDIS SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 08/19/2025 TAGS: PREL KE SUBJECT: DEMARCHE DELIVERED: HOST COUNTRY MEETINGS WITH HAMAS REF: SECSTATE 27174 Classified By: A/POL/C L. Peterson FOR REASONS 1.4 (B) AND (D) ¶1. (C) Poloff delivered reftel demarche and message February 23 to Ambassador Binsai Chepsongol, Head, Middle East Division, Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Chepsongol stated that Kenya did not anticipate receiving a delegation from Hamas. He explained that the Kenyan government agreed with the U.S. position that Hamas must conform to the conditions of the Quartet statement before contact could be established. He indicated that he would share our message with the appropriate authorities. He did, however, query at some length the effectiveness of an isolationist approach versus a policy of engagement to engender greater moderation within Hamas. BELLAMY