US Secretary of State Marco Rubio stated that Adam Boehler had established direct communication with individuals who have control over Israeli hostages held by Hamas, but that these discussions have not yet yielded 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 en route to Saudi Arabia.
"It hasn't borne fruit," Rubio said, referring to the opportunity Boehler had to speak with Hamas as part of the effort to reach a new phase of the hostage agreement. The direct White House contacts with the terrorist organization has triggered an Israeli angry response in recent days. He noted that the White House's chief negotiator for the Qatar mediated talks will continue to be Steve Witkoff, who is the special envoy for the Middle East.
Rubio's remarks come amid continuing tensions in the region, where hostage negotiations have been a critical component of diplomatic discussions.
