President-elect Donald Trump has appointed Adam Boehler Special Presidential Envoy for Hostage Affairs with the personal rank of Ambassador
During Trump's previous term, Boehler worked as a lead negotiator on the Abraham Accords team.
Trump noted that Boehler "has negotiated with some of the toughest people in the World, including the Taliban, but Adam knows that no one is tougher than the United States of America, at least when President Trump is its Leader. Adam will work tirelessly to bring our great American citizens home."
The announcement comes at a time when 101 hostages, including seven US citizens, are being held by Hamas in Gaza, and just several days after the IDF announced that US citizen Omer Neutra fell on October 7th, 2023, and his body is being held by the terror organization. Last week Edan Alexander, another US citizen being held by Hamas, appeared in a video released by the terror organization.
Following the announcement about Omer Neutra, President-elect Trump released a statement threatening consequences if the hostages are not released before he takes office: "Everybody is talking about the hostages who are being held so violently, inhumanely, and against the will of the entire World, in the Middle East - But it’s all talk and no action!
"Please let this TRUTH serve to represent that if the hostages are not released prior to January 20, 2025, the date that I proudly assume Office as President of the United States, there will be ALL HELL TO PAY in the Middle East, and for those in charge who perpetrated these atrocities against Humanity. Those responsible will be hit harder than anybody has been hit in the long and storied History of the United States of America. RELEASE THE HOSTAGES NOW!" Trump wrote.