The Defense Ministry has reportedly received a request to arrange a meeting with Boehler, likely to take place on Monday. Both Israeli and U.S. officials have kept the visit under wraps.
Boehler served as Trump’s envoy during the Abraham Accords negotiations and was recently appointed “Special Presidential Envoy for American Hostage Affairs” following Trump’s reelection. In a statement announcing Boehler’s appointment, Trump said, “Adam knows that NO ONE is tougher than the United States of America… Adam will work tirelessly to bring our Great American Citizens HOME.”
In the past, Boehler has called for stronger U.S. action in retrieving hostages. In an op-ed for The Hill, he advocated for military operations, including commando raids, to rescue American hostages held by Hamas in Gaza. “The Biden administration has reverted to a philosophy of hostage rescues that sees a military operation as a last resort,” Boehler wrote. “This approach cedes the upper hand to hostage takers, who feel emboldened to capture Americans with little fear of paying for it with their lives.”
He added, “American servicemembers are more than equipped to pull off a rescue. In the wake of the failed mission to rescue Americans held hostage by Iran in 1980, U.S. Special Operations teams were rebuilt to achieve what President Jimmy Carter’s aborted raid could not.
“Today, U.S. special operators have a strong track record of successfully infiltrating hostile environments to rescue hostages. Those averse to an American military presence inside Gaza must remember that a single, surgical raid is not the same thing as a protracted U.S. military presence.”
Meanwhile, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Saturday, “Hamas’ barrage of propaganda videos is cruel and malicious psychological warfare. I am in constant contact with the families of the hostages, who are enduring a terrible and prolonged nightmare. I have said and will repeat: anyone who harms our hostages will bear full responsibility. We will continue working tirelessly to bring all the hostages home—both the living and the deceased.”
According to reports, the emerging deal is expected to unfold in stages, beginning under the Biden administration and continuing into the Trump administration. The first stage would be humanitarian, involving the release of hostages in exchange for a seven-week cease-fire. Such an agreement could also pave the way for a broader deal, potentially ending the war and facilitating normalization between Israel and Saudi Arabia.
An Israeli official likened the negotiations to a pregnancy, saying, “The assumption is that the ‘pregnancy’ will continue after a humanitarian release. The key is to get both sides committed.”
On Wednesday, Barnea met with Qatari Prime Minister Mohammed Al Thani in Doha, following a secret meeting held two weeks earlier in Vienna. Qatar currently serves as the central mediator for the deal, and the outgoing U.S. administration is cooperating fully with the incoming administration in a shared effort to finalize an agreement before Trump’s inauguration.
However, it remains unclear whether Hamas will agree to a limited deal without ending the war entirely. Conflicting reports have emerged: some suggest Hamas is showing flexibility, including a willingness to accept a limited IDF presence in Gaza, while others claim Israel has agreed to a temporary withdrawal from the Philadelphi Corridor which borders Egypt, though these reports remain unconfirmed.