Israel and Hamas may be weeks away from a deal that nobody wants but everyone can live with, the Special Presidential Envoy on Hostage Affairs said Sunday, as Israel ramped up the pressure on Hamas to end the war by cutting off electricity to Gaza.
With the ceasefire expired as of last weekend, Hamas still holds 59 of the 251 hostages swept up during its October 7, 2023, attack on Israel. Twenty-four of those remaining hostages are believed to be alive. One Israeli-American is on the list of the living while America waits for four bodies of its compatriots to be recovered.
President Trump’s senior advisor, Adam Boehler, said he is working on getting those Americans home.
“My goal is to release prisoners,” Mr. Boehler, who designated March 9 as the U.S. Hostage and Wrongful Detainee Day, said on “Fox News Sunday.” “But we also discussed what the end might look like.”
Mr. Boehler’s negotiations last week upset Israeli officials, but after consultations, with both sides, he said he could see a potential deal in which Hamas will no longer be able to hurt Israel and Gaza rebuilding can begin.
“I think you could see something like a long-term truce, where we forgive prisoners, where Hamas lays down their arms, where they agree they’re not part of the political party going forward. I think that’s a reality. It’s real close,” Mr. Boehler told CNN on Sunday.
“I believe there is enough there to make a deal between what Hamas wants and what is accepted and what Israel wants and what is accepted,” he continued.
The remaining American hostage, Edan Alexander, a 21-year-old man from New Jersey, was serving in the Israeli Army as part of the requirements of his citizenship. Hamas political adviser Taher Al-Nono told Reuters that several meetings have taken place “focused on releasing one of the dual-nationality prisoners.” Al-Nono added that Hamas does not “oppose the release of a prisoner within the framework of these talks.”
Hamas and Israel declared a ceasefire in January enabling Israel to retrieve 33 hostages in exchange for thousands of Palestinian prisoners and access to humanitarian supplies. Since January 19, 25,000 trucks have crossed the border. However, the [Israeli Foreign Ministry](https://x.com/IsraelMFA/status/1897357044057100518) says many of those have been hijacked by Hamas to distribute to its fighters and sympathizers. Last week, Israel cut off supplies of goods to the territory in hopes of persuading the terror group to extend the ceasefire.
On Sunday, Israel’s Energy Minister, [Eli Cohen](https://x.com/elicoh1/status/1898756463222260177), tweeted that electricity is now cut off until Hamas agrees to a deal that would see Hamas release half of the remaining hostages before discussions of a lasting truce.
“I have now signed an order to cut off electricity to the Gaza Strip immediately. Enough with the talk, it’s time for action!” he wrote.
While Mr. Boehler says progress has been made, publicly Hamas has warned that cutting off supplies to Gaza would affect the well-being of the hostages. Negotiators expressed no change in their position after meeting with Egyptian mediators over the weekend, saying that it wants an independent committee under the Palestinian Authority to run Gaza until elections can be held.
Israeli negotiators have rejected any PA involvement, but said Israel is willing to send a delegation to Qatar on Monday in an effort to advance negotiations around the ceasefire.
Hamas on Sunday didn’t mention its talks with the United States., but reiterated its support for a proposal for the establishment of an independent committee of technocrats to run Gaza until Palestinians hold presidential and legislative elections.
While not imposing a deadline, last week President Trump warned Hamas leadership to leave Gaza “while you still have a chance.” He also gave Gazan civilians an ultimatum:
“To the people of Gaza: A beautiful Future awaits, but not if you hold Hostages. If you do, you are DEAD! Make a SMART decision. RELEASE THE HOSTAGES NOW, OR THERE WILL BE HELL TO PAY LATER!” he wrote on TruthSocial.
Asked on “Fox News Sunday” whether Mr. Trump was bluffing, Mr. Boehler replied with an anecdote about the 2020 assassination of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corp’s Qasem Soleimani.
“This is what I will say: it may seem like he makes empty threats, until it’s not so empty and then you’re dead.”