Smotrich: Direct U.S.-Hamas talks are a dangerous error  

Direct negotiations between U.S. President Donald Trump’s Envoy for Hostages, Adam Boehler, and Hamas are a “grave mistake,” Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich stated in an interview with KAN Radio on Monday morning.

Smotrich claimed that Boehler “acted independently” in an attempt to secure the release of Idan Alexander, a U.S. citizen held captive by Hamas. He accused Boehler of “naivety” in presenting a proposal on Hamas’s behalf, which included disarmament and the return of all hostages in exchange for a ceasefire lasting 5-10 years—terms Smotrich dismissed as “complete nonsense.”

He also pointed to Boehler’s social media post on X, in which the envoy clarified that Hamas members are “BY DEFINITION BAD people” (capitalization in original).

MK Simcha Rothman, a member of Smotrich’s Religious Zionism party, echoed his criticism during a debate in the Knesset Constitution Committee on Monday morning.

Rothman argued that “anyone who negotiates with Hamas” ultimately harms efforts to bring back Israeli hostages. His remarks were made in response to comments by Gil Dickman, cousin of Carmel Gat, who was murdered while in Hamas captivity in late August.