President Donald Trump’s administration is withdrawing the nomination of Adam Boehler to be its top envoy for hostage issues, but he will continue to deal with those matters as a special government employee, according to the White House.
The move comes after Boehler provoked anger from Israel for meeting with Hamas over the fate of US captives held by the group.
“Adam Boehler will continue to serve President Trump as a special government employee focused on hostage negotiations,” White House spokeswoman Anna Kelly said in a statement Friday. “He will continue this important work to bring wrongfully detained individuals around the world home.”
Israeli leaders had criticized Boehler over his meeting with Hamas in the Qatari capital of Doha as part of the US effort to free hostages captured in the group’s Oct. 7, 2023 attack. News of the meeting came at a delicate time with Israel and Hamas exploring whether to extend a six-week ceasefire that expired earlier this month. Israel has warned it will return to fighting if Hamas doesn’t release the remaining hostages the group holds.
Senior Israeli officials including Strategic Affairs Minister Ron Dermer complained. The meeting spurred fears that the US would try to cut a deal for Hamas to release US citizens it’s still holding while keeping Israelis in captivity. Trump has sought to maintain close ties with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government, and Hamas is labeled a terrorist organization by the US.
Boehler defended the move during an interview with Fox News Sunday last weekend.
“I would say that the Israelis were kept informed,” Boehler said. “I did have a discussion with Ron. Ron raised some concerns. And quite frankly, it’s totally fair for Israel to have concerns if we’re having direct contacts with Hamas.”
“For all he knows, he doesn’t know me, maybe I would meet them and say, ah, they seem like such nice guys. You know, let’s have beer and chips with them,” he added.
Trump nominated Boehler as his special presidential envoy for hostage affairs in December. Though he had not yet had a hearing, Boehler had already begun his work, referring to himself on the social-media platform X as the US envoy for hostages.
Asked about the meeting earlier this week, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio called it a “one-off situation.” Boehler “was given permission and encouraged to do so,” Rubio said. “He did so. As of now, it hasn’t borne fruit. But it doesn’t mean he was wrong to try.”
This article was generated from an automated news agency feed without modifications to text.
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