Trump Envoy: Hostage Deal with Hamas ‘Closer Than It’s Ever Been’
Adam Boehler says a hostage deal with Hamas is "closer than it's ever been" but called the group "hardheaded," Politico reported from the Aspen Security Forum. He cited Israel's military actions against Iran as creating a political opening for a deal.
By Kamaran Aziz
ERBIL (Kurdistan 24) — A senior Trump administration official has declared that a deal to release the remaining Israeli hostages held by Hamas is “closer than it’s ever been,” citing Israel’s recent military successes against Iran as creating a new political window for an agreement, according to a report by Politico.
Speaking on Thursday at the Aspen Security Forum, Special Envoy for Hostage Release Adam Boehler stressed his confidence that a deal would be reached. However, he also described the Palestinian militant group as “very hardheaded” in its approach to negotiations, Politico reported.
“They continue to hold out. Israel continues to kick their ass, and yet they still think they have leverage,” Boehler stated. He added that if a deal were to fail, it would be because of that "hard headedness."
The special envoy also pushed back against the suggestion that the U.S. had made “unilateral” deals with Hamas, following criticism he received earlier this year for negotiating directly with the group. “We always were working with the Israeli side,” Boehler said, as cited in the report.
According to Politico, Boehler also expressed optimism about expanding the Abraham Accords, the agreements which saw several Arab nations recognize Israel. “The accords that we drove in President Trump’s administration the first time, they held strong,” he said.
The report noted the unique circumstances of Boehler's appearance. He was the only member of the Trump administration to speak at the annual conference after his colleague, special envoy Tom Barrack, pulled out in light of Israeli strikes against the Syrian capital.
More dramatically, the Pentagon withdrew all of its senior military commanders and officials from the event. Politico cited a Pentagon spokesperson, Kingsley Wilson, who called the officially nonpartisan conference an “evil den of globalism.” Boehler was not asked about the near-boycott and did not bring it up.
