Republican sources say Trump’s envoy appointed to handle the issue of the Gaza hostages has been removed, after revelations of his secret talks with Hamas terrorists sparked a backlash from Israel.
Adam Boehler, President Donald Trump’s envoy leading efforts to secure the return of hostages held captive in the Gaza Strip, has been removed from his position, according to a report Thursday.
Citing three Republican officials, the Jewish Insider reported that President Trump dropped Boehler, just 52 days after taking on the role of Special Presidential Envoy for Hostage Affairs.
The Trump administration has reportedly informed Jerusalem of the change.
Last week, Axios revealed that Boehler had initiated secret talks with Hamas terrorists in Doha, Qatar, aimed at securing the return of the five Americans held captive in Gaza. Only one of the five is believed to still be alive.
Following the report, Strategic Affairs Minister Ron Dermer, a confidant of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, excoriated Boehler during a phone call, criticizing the lack of Israeli consent to the talks and Boehler’s failure to even notify Israel.
In the days following the call, Boehler launched a public relations blitz, appearing on a number of American and Israeli news outlets.
However, Republican officials cited in Thursday’s report called Boehler’s interviews “unproductive.”
“It’s like he’s in Never Never Land,” one Republican senator said of the envoy.
A number of Republican lawmakers have reportedly sought Boehler’s ouster from the administration.
“I don’t know why we’d be interested in him doing anything going forward after what we saw,” one said.
Boehler, 51, who met Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner in college, served in the first Trump administration, with a tenure as Director for the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Innovation from 2018 to 2019, before being appointed CEO of the U.S. International Development Finance Corporation.
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