Adam Boehler, U.S. envoy for hostages, on March 6. Photo by Jim Watson/AFP via Getty Images

By Jacob Kornbluh March 9, 2025

Adam Boehler, President Donald Trump’s special envoy for hostages, defended his recent talks with Hamas, saying that despite the terrorist group’s antisemitic ideology and role in the Oct. 7 attacks, engaging with them is necessary to secure the release of the hostages.

“Meeting with people, whether they’re good people or bad people, is part of my job,” Boehler said in an interview with CNN’s Jake Tapper on Sunday, when asked whether, as a Jewish American, he had to steady himself before “sitting down to deal with people who are definitionally antisemitic murderers.”

Acknowledging the challenge, Boehler said it was “hard not to think of it” and that it “definitely feels a little odd” to have Trump’s approval to engage with Hamas. He emphasized that freeing Edan Alexander, a 21-year-old Israeli-American and the last known living U.S. hostage in Gaza, remains a top priority. The bodies of four others — Itay Chen, Omer Neutra, and Gadi and Judi Haggai — are also believed to be held by Hamas.S

Secretary of State Marco Rubio told reporters on Monday that Boehler’s talks with Hamas “was a one-off” effort. “As of now, it hasn’t borne fruit.”

Adam Boehler on Hamas and the conflict in Gaza

“I need to go and have a dialogue with anybody, and that includes a lot of people that I would classify as not so good people to help other Americans,” Boehler said on CNN. “And so it comes part and parcel in the job.” He added that while he understands Israeli concerns, “We are the United States. We’re not an agent of Israel.”

Speaking to i24News, an Israeli TV station, Boehler explained the rationale behind his meetings. “It is very difficult to really understand another side without sitting in front of them,” he said. “We don’t think meeting somebody is a concession.”

In another interview on Fox News,  responding to an Israeli report that his efforts have failed, Boehler described the talks as “productive.” Asked by CNN’s Tapper if he plans more meetings with Hamas, Boehler quipped, “You never know. Sometimes you’re in the area and you drop by.”

Appointed in December, Boehler was elevated to ambassador level in his new role. He was CEO of the U.S. International Development Finance Corporation during the first Trump administration. He served with Jared Kushner, Trump’s son-in-law, on the negotiating team for the Abraham Accords and was the lead negotiator in normalization talks between Israel and Morocco.

Steve Witkoff, the White House Mideast envoy, is the lead negotiator on the indirect talks between Israel and Hamas over the release of all the remaining 59 hostages and a permanent ceasefire in Gaza. He is set to travel to Doha on Tuesday to kick off a new round of talks with Qatari and Egyptian mediators and Israeli and Hamas teams.

Last week, Trump issued a final warning to Hamas to release all the hostages immediately “or it is OVER for you.” It came moments after meeting with eight freed hostage in the Oval Office. “We’ll get them out,” Trump told them.

Boehler said on CNN’s State of the Union that he’s hopeful a long-term deal could be reached “within weeks” where Hamas lays down their arms and agrees to not be part of the political party governing Gaza. “I think that’s a reality,” he said. “It’s real close.”

The Israeli government reportedly asked the Trump administration for clarifications following Boehler’s round of interviews in defense of the talks and his comments about the conflict.

This post was updated to include additional information. 

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