US Envoy: No Halt to Gaza Bombing Without Release of ‘Hostages’
Doha (Quds News Network)- US Special Envoy for Hostage Affairs Adam Boehler said Sunday that Hamas must release Israeli soldier prisoners if it wants Israel to stop bombing Gaza. He emphasized that only “strength and firmness” will lead to the prisoners’ release.
Boehler said Secretary of State Marco Rubio and envoy Steven Witkoff delivered a ‘tough’ message to Hamas, under direct orders from US President Donald Trump. He described the Doha negotiations as “highly volatile,” but said Witkoff is working hard to push them forward.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office confirmed that talks in Doha include discussions about ending the genocide. But Israel set new conditions this time: a full release of Israeli prisoners, Hamas fighters leaving Gaza, and the strip becoming a demilitarized zone.
Netanyahu continues to reject any ceasefire before what he calls “total victory,” which includes destroying the resistance and bringing back all Israeli prisoners.
Hamas had repeatedly said it is willing to release all Israeli prisoners in exchange for an end to the genocide, an Israeli withdrawal from Gaza, and a reconstruction plan.
Meanwhile, Israeli forces continue to carry out deadly attacks in Gaza, killing civilians and worsening the humanitarian crisis. The Israeli siege has caused widespread famine, raising concerns that Netanyahu’s conditions are a tactic to prolong the genocide and avoid accountability.
Critics note that Netanyahu’s demand for a demilitarized Gaza contradicts reality. Hamas has long relied on basic, improvised weapons and light arms—not heavy weaponry or conventional military infrastructure. Observers say the Israeli conditions ignore this fact and serve more as a political smokescreen than a realistic peace framework.
