The US envoy who held unprecedented direct talks with Hamas said Sunday the meeting had been “very helpful” and he was confident a hostage release deal could be reached “within weeks.”
Adam Boehler acknowledged that as a Jewish American it had been “odd” sitting face-to-face with leaders of a group that the United States has listed as a “terrorist” organization since 1997, but he did not rule out further meetings with the Palestinian militants.
Boehler said he understood Israel’s “consternation” that the United States had held talks at all with the group, but said he had been seeking to jump-start the “fragile” negotiations.
“In the end, I think it was a very helpful meeting,” he said, adding: “I think something could come together within weeks… I think there is a deal where they can get all of the prisoners out, not just the Americans.”
Boehler suggested there was a chance of further talks with the militants, saying: “You never know. You know, sometimes you’re in the area and you drop by.”
“I understand the consternation and the concern” on Israel’s part at the talks, Boehler said, adding: “We’re the United States. We’re not an agent of Israel.”
He described his feelings on sitting across from the militants.
“I think when you walk and you sit in front of somebody, and you know what they’ve done, it’s hard not to think of it,” he said.
He said it was important to identify with their humanity, but admitted, “It feels a little odd knowing what they are.”
“As of right now, the president said that he would support Israel in that, that it’s Israel’s call,” Boehler said, adding: “until I have different direction from the president, that would be the US position and my position.”
“If he’s there, I’m going to bring him home,” he said. “If he’s dead, I’m going to dig up his remains with the FBI… and we’ll bring them home to his mom.”
Boehler also promised to go to Syria to bring home Austin Tice, an American journalist kidnapped there in 2012.
