By Jack Phillips
The Trump administration’s special envoy for hostage affairs said in a Sunday interview that the Hamas terrorist group should “take the deal” laid out by Israel to move closer to a peace agreement.
During an interview on CNN’s “State of the Union” Sunday, special envoy Adam Boehler said that Hamas should accept the current proposed plan from Israel that involves the Islamist terror group releasing some remaining hostages that it took during the Oct. 7, 2023, attacks to move forward.
“I would say Israel at this point is bending over backward,” he told the outlet. “They’re redrawing maps. At this point, what you do is you say, ‘Look, we’re going to take this deal. We’re going to let at least 10 hostages go. We have got two dead Americans there … we need to get those Americans out. We need to get the other hostages.
“There’s a firm pathway to negotiate peace. That’s the best they’re going to get. And they should take on the offer, take the offer that’s there. They haven’t in the past,” Boehler said, referring to Hamas.
“Every single time they don’t take it, it goes down and goes down and goes down. So, my recommendation to Hamas would be, take the deal that Israel, that the United States is offering you. Let’s get some people home. And let’s move to end this conflict.”
It came as Hamas spokesperson Abu Ubaida said in a televised speech on July 18 that the group wants a truce on the conflict in Gaza but said that Israel has refused the group’s offers to release the hostages.
“If the enemy remains obstinate and evades this round as it has done every time before, we cannot guarantee a return to partial deals or the proposal of the 10 captives,” said Ubaida.
But Boehler told CNN that he is “optimistic” about an Israeli agreement with Hamas following the recent military strikes targeting Iran’s nuclear facilities and military leadership.
“The Israelis want something done,” he said. “Now, I will tell you, because I have been with them, Hamas is very hardheaded. They have been offered many things that they should take, and it’s time for Hamas to release the hostages.
“So I’m more optimistic than I was because all of those factors are there. We have got an A-team negotiating it. Now what I really want to see is Hamas take action. And if they don’t, I will tell you something, Israel’s going to have to take some kinetic action.”
Hamas and Israel have been engaged in open conflict since Hamas launched a terrorist attack that left more than 1,000 civilians dead on Oct. 7, 2023, prompting Israel to respond with a ground invasion in Gaza. The Hamas-controlled health ministry in Gaza has said that more than 50,000 Palestinians have been killed in the conflict, although the ministry doesn’t designate between civilians and combatants.
Last week, President Donald Trump said at an event with Republican senators at the White House that he believes the 10 hostages will be released “very shortly.”
“We got most of the hostages back,” Trump said. “We’re going to have another 10 coming very shortly, and we hope to have that finished quickly.”
Reuters contributed to this report.
