The Trump administration has decided to retract Adam Boehler’s nomination as special presidential envoy for hostage affairs, as confirmed by the White House on Saturday. Boehler, who has been actively involved in securing the release of hostages held by Hamas in Gaza, will now continue his hostage-related duties as a “special government employee” without requiring Senate approval.
According to White House spokeswoman Karoline Leavitt, Boehler will maintain his role focusing on hostage negotiations for President Trump. Leavitt stated, “Adam Boehler will continue to serve as a special government employee dedicated to hostage negotiations. He played a crucial part in the successful return of Marc Fogel from Russia and will persist in this vital work to bring wrongfully detained individuals back home globally.”
A White House official, speaking anonymously, disclosed that Boehler withdrew his nomination to avoid divesting from his investment firm, clarifying that the decision was not connected to the controversy surrounding his talks with Hamas.
Boehler explained his decision, saying, “This enables me to best assist Americans held abroad and collaborate across agencies to accomplish President Trump’s goals.” In recent developments, Boehler engaged in direct discussions with Hamas regarding the release of hostages in Gaza, departing from the long-standing U.S. policy against negotiating with groups labeled as terrorist organizations.
These negotiations have raised concerns among some Senate Republicans and Israeli officials. Israeli Minister of Strategic Affairs Ron Dermer reportedly expressed his dissatisfaction to Boehler in a tense phone conversation. The tensions escalated after a cross-border raid by Hamas into southern Israel resulted in casualties and abductions, leading to military actions by Israel in Gaza.
Despite opposing views, Boehler was granted permission by the Trump administration to engage with Hamas directly. U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio characterized the talks as a unique circumstance that did not yield significant progress. Boehler’s efforts were recognized for facilitating the release of Fogel, an American teacher who was freed by Russia in February after being imprisoned for over three years.
(Reporting by Nathan Layne in West Palm Beach and Humeyra Pamuk in Washington; Editing by Diane Craft and Daniel Wallis)
