U.S. President Donald Trump's hostage envoy Adam Boehler said on Sunday that American meetings withHamason the release ofhostagesheld in Gaza were "very helpful" and he did not rule out additional encounters with the Palestinian terror group.
Boehler said in an interview on NBC's "Meet the Press" that he believed something could come together on Gaza within weeks, but did not elaborate. However, he did note that "probably all the hostages are going to be released, not only Americans."
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אדם בוהלראדם בוהלר
U.S. President Donald Trump's hostage envoy Adam Boehler
(Photo: AFP)
His remarks came after an unnamed senior Israeli official claimed earlier in the day that no progress had been made in the negotiations.
Boehler, who has been leading direct U.S. engagement withHamas, also addressed Israeli frustration over Washington’s decision to hold these talks. While acknowledging Israeli concerns, he stressed that the United States was acting in its own interests and was not an agent of Israel. He said the meetings had been authorized by President Donald Trump and were focused on advancing the release of hostages.
Israeli officials who spoke with American counterparts said Washington was "shocked" by Israel’s opposition to the discussions with Hamas, particularly by alleged attempts to create tensions between Boehler and U.S. Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff. According to American sources, Boehler was working under Witkoff’s direction, with all actions taken in coordination with him and with the approval of President Trump. They rejected claims of a "good cop, bad cop" approach, insisting that U.S. efforts were fully coordinated.
Israel’s Security Cabinet was set to meet later Sunday to finalize the mandate for a delegation traveling to Doha, Qatar, on Monday to engage in hostage negotiations. The delegation will be led by a senior Shin Bet official, along with Israel’s Coordinator for Hostages and Missing Persons Gal Hirsch, Dr. Ofir Falk, and representatives from the Mossad and Shin Bet.U.S. envoy Witkoffis also scheduled to arrive in Doha on Tuesday to assist in the discussions.
Israeli officials said the delegation would remain in Qatar for two days, where it would discuss the "Witkoff framework." Officials suggested that flexibility could be possible if the talks showed signs of progress. The U.S. is focused on securing the release of 10 living hostages in exchange for a 60-day ceasefire and renewed humanitarian aid, according to a source familiar with the discussions. One proposal under consideration is prioritizing the release of hostages suffering from torture or those in urgent medical need.
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הפגנה נגד הממשלה וקריאה להשבת כלל החטופים ברחוב עזה בירושליםהפגנה נגד הממשלה וקריאה להשבת כלל החטופים ברחוב עזה בירושלים
Jerusalem rally calling for the release of the remaining hostages
(Photo: Rafi Kotz)
Meanwhile, Hamas official Taher al-Nunu confirmed to Reuters that the group’s leaders had held multiple meetings with Boehler as part of direct U.S.-Hamas contacts. However, prior to Boehler’s remarks, an Israeli official had stated that no progress had been made in the discussions.
Hamas also announced that a delegation led by senior official Mohammad Darwish met in Cairo with Egyptian intelligence chief Hassan Rashad to discuss key issues.
An internal Israeli government memo sent to ministers reiterated that Israel would not accept any arrangement for Gaza that did not align with the war’s objectives: the return of all hostages, the dismantling of Hamas' military and governing capabilities, and the removal of the terrorist threat to Israeli citizens.
The memo also stated that Israel retained the option to resume intense military operations if negotiations proved ineffective, noting that this position had been supported by both the previous and current U.S. administrations.