Report: US hostage envoy Boehler 'sidelined' from Hamas hostage file

U.S. hostage envoy Adam Boehler is no longer involved in U.S. efforts to free the hostages held by Hamas in Gaza, Jewish Insider reported on Thursday.

“GOP sources told Jewish Insider the administration has pulled him off of the Hamas hostage file and opined that he needs to be further sidelined or pushed out of the administration,” the report stated.

The report went on to anonymously cite several Republican lawmakers who believe Boehler should be “sidelined” for his comments.

“He’s being sidelined, and that’s good,” one said.

A Republican senator said he is “concerned about anyone who would sit down with Hamas and walk away saying they’re somehow convinced that they’re nice guys now.”

Boehler sparked controversy for holding direct talks with Hamas leaders without Israel, and for comments he made in interviews about the meeting.

Responding to reports that Israeli Strategic Affairs Minister Ron Dermer was upset over the direct U.S.-Hamas talks, Boehler said he understood why Dermer and others might be upset, but that his top priority was pursuing American interests.

“I understand the consternation and the concern,” Boehler said. “I wasn’t upset. At the same time, we’re the United States. We’re not an agent of Israel. We have specific interests at play.”

Boehler, in an apparent sarcastic response to Dermer’s concerns, said that perhaps Dermer feared Boehler “would see them and say, ‘Look, they don’t have horns growing out of their head. They’re actually guys like us. They’re pretty nice guys.’”

Yet, in the same interview, Boehler indicated this was not the case, saying,“Israel knows walking out of that, that it’s not like Hamas got the world because I thought they were a bunch of nice guys.”