Adam Boehler, President-elect Donald Trump's adviser on hostages and missing persons, is expected in Israel in the coming days. According to sources close to the matter, the 45-year-old American envoy is to hold meetings concerning a potential agreement on the hostages held by Hamas in Gaza. Trump, who has already warned Hamas to release the hostages before his inauguration on January 20 or face “serious consequences”, is taking a tough stance on the issue. “It will be HELL in the Middle East,” he said on his Truth Social platform.
Boehler, a Jewish American known for his hard line on Hamas, echoed that message last week: “Anyone holding hostages should think carefully about what might happen to them.” In an op-ed in The Hill, he argued for military operations, including commando raids, to rescue American hostages held in Gaza.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu reacted on Saturday to recent hostage videos released by Hamas: “This avalanche 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 nightmare and extended.”
According to diplomatic sources, the emerging agreement is expected to take place in several stages, starting under the Biden administration and continuing under Trump. The first phase would be humanitarian, involving the release of hostages in exchange for a seven-week ceasefire. Such a deal could pave the way for a broader arrangement, potentially ending the war and facilitating normalization between Israel and Saudi Arabia.
