Rubio: Direct US-Hamas Hostage Talks a ‘One-Off Situation’
The top American diplomat said no progress was made in the negotiations with the terrorist organization.
By Joshua Marks, Amelie Botbol, JNS
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said on Monday that a rare direct meeting between a U.S. envoy and the Arab terrorist group Hamas was an isolated event and has yet to yield results.
“That was a one-off situation in which our special envoy for hostages, whose job it is to get people released, had an opportunity to talk directly to someone who has control over these people and was given permission and encouraged to do so. He did so,” Rubio told reporters while traveling to Saudi Arabia, according to Reuters.
Furthermore, the meeting between U.S. President Donald Trump’s hostage envoy Adam Boehler and Hamas had not led to tangible outcomes, said Rubio.
“As of now, it hasn’t borne fruit. Doesn’t mean he was wrong to try, but our primary vehicle for negotiations on this front will continue to be Mr. Witkoff and the work he’s doing through Qatar,” said Rubio, referring to Trump’s special envoy for the Middle East, Steve Witkoff, who is traveling to Doha, Qatar on Tuesday for ceasefire talks, joining an Israeli delegation that arrived at the Qatari capital on Monday.
Boehler confirmed on Sunday in a series of television interviews with American and Israeli media that direct talks with Hamas had indeed taken place, despite long-standing American policy against negotiating with terrorists.
“The reason that I met Hamas is because I want to work to help to get Americans and Israelis out,” he said during an interview with Israel’s Kan News, adding that he wanted to know the terror group’s demands for ending the war. “Some of the things that they talked about were relatively reasonable things and workable things,” he said.
Ariel Kallner, a parliamentarian for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s ruling Likud Party, told JNS on Tuesday that Boehler already admitted his mistake in leading the parallel negotiations.
“The most important thing is that Prime Minister Netanyahu and President Trump are working together and they see the situation and the solution in the same way and it’s very important for us, it’s not something we had with the previous administration,” Kallner said.
With regards to the talks, he explained, “There are a few options: one option is to continue with Stage One while bringing about the release of a few other hostages. Another option is going to Stage Two, while our position is very clear, we will not tolerate Hamas staying in power.”
“Hamas will no longer control the Gaza Strip—not in a civil or a military way—and the Strip will be demilitarized,” Kallner stated. “We are also talking about Witkoff’s proposal of extending the ceasefire by two months and releasing half of the hostages; Israel agreed.”
Israeli lawmaker Ohad Tal (Religious Zionism) told JNS on Monday that Hamas would never release the hostages voluntarily.
“The only way for all the hostages to return home is to increase the pressure on Hamas, including intense military activity and stopping the flow of water and electricity,” he said.
“At this point, we believe that efforts should be made to prolong Phase I [of the ceasefire deal] to bring back as many hostages as possible. After that, Israel must return to fighting Hamas and take down this evil organization once and for all,” he added.
Israel announced on Sunday that it would be cutting off its supply of electricity to Gaza.
“I have signed an order to immediately cut off electricity to the Gaza Strip. Enough talk, it’s time for action!’” tweeted Energy and Infrastructure Minister Eli Cohen.
On March 2, the Israeli government announced the suspension of all humanitarian aid to Gaza after Hamas rejected the ceasefire extension proposed by Witkoff.
However, Knesset member Naor Shiri (Yesh Atid) told JNS on Monday that Israel cutting off the electricity it supplies to Gaza was “more of a declarative move” and would have no real impact.
Moreover, “It could have been done earlier,” he said.
“I also don’t see any coherence in the way the [ceasefire] talks are being managed. It’s time for the government to take responsibility over the hostages held in Gaza,” he added.
The Israel Defense Forces has confirmed that 35 of the remaining 59 hostages still in Gaza are dead. Israeli intelligence believes 22 are alive, while the status of two remains uncertain. Among the captives are five Americans, including 21-year-old Edan Alexander, who is believed to be alive.
Hamas led a terrorist invasion of southern Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, murdering some 1,200 people, wounding thousands more, and kidnapping 251 to Gaza, sparking a regional war.
Rubio meets Saudi crown prince in Jeddah
Rubio and U.S. National Security Advisor Mike Waltz met with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman in Jeddah on Monday to discuss regional security and global conflicts, according to a State Department readout.
Rubio thanked the crown prince for Saudi Arabia’s role in diplomatic efforts to resolve the Ukraine war. The leaders also addressed threats to maritime navigation by Houthi terrorists, the situation in Syria and efforts to stabilize the region.
On Gaza, Rubio reaffirmed the U.S. position that any reconstruction plan must exclude the Hamas terrorist group while acknowledging Saudi Arabia’s role in hosting Arab nations for discussions on the issue.
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