US Special Envoy for Hostages Fired After Meeting with Hamas Leaders

Israeli media reported that the US administration decided to remove Adam Bohler, the American envoy for Israeli hostages, from handling the case following a series of controversial statements he made during interviews with American and Israeli media outlets.

Reports indicated that Bohler angered Israeli officials after he spoke about the “humanity” of the Islamic resistance movement Hamas, prompting the US administration to move him away from this sensitive file.

According to Israeli newspaper Yedioth Ahronoth, citing confidential sources, the US administration informed Israeli officials that Bohler would no longer be responsible for the Israeli hostages issue with Hamas in the future, though no official statement had been made on the matter.

The Times of Israel mentioned that this decision came after Bohler gave a series of chaotic interviews in which he tried to defend his efforts in handling the case, which sparked widespread criticism.

Media reports also revealed that Bohler recently held direct talks with Hamas officials in Doha without the knowledge of Israel, which further angered the Israeli government.

Additionally, he made a mistake by misnaming the only surviving American hostage in Gaza, which intensified the criticism against him. US officials described his statements as “unproductive,” while one senator called him someone “living in a dream world.”

Israeli Minister of Strategic Affairs Ron Dermer made a tense phone call with Bohler, and the envoy was also harshly criticized by far-right Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, who claimed that Bohler’s remarks “undermined Israel’s efforts.”

Amid growing pressure, Bohler was forced to retract his statements and posted a message on the social media platform “X” where he affirmed that Hamas is “a terrorist organization that has killed thousands of innocent people,” stressing that “any Hamas member will not be safe unless all hostages are released immediately.”

Bohler, 51, is an American Jew and a supporter of the Israeli occupation. He was appointed to his role about three months ago. He had played a significant role in coordinating normalization agreements between Israel and several Arab countries during former US President Donald Trump’s first term.