Israel’s Qatar strike disrupted Hamas ceasefire, Trump negotiators say

Jared Kushner and Steve Witkoff, two of President Trump’s key negotiators in brokering last month’s Israel-Hamas ceasefire, said in an exclusive 60 Minutes interview that Israeli airstrikes in Qatar undermined the peace process and created a “metastasizing effect” on negotiations, according to CBS News.

Witkoff explained that the strike, which Israel said targeted senior Hamas leadership in Doha, immediately disrupted channels crucial to the negotiations. “It had a metastasizing effect because the Qataris were critical to the negotiation, as were the Egyptians and the Turks,” he said. “We had lost the confidence of the Qataris. And so Hamas went underground, and it was very, very difficult to get to them.”

The timing of the strike left Kushner and Witkoff feeling “a little bit betrayed,” as it occurred during active discussions for a ceasefire and hostage release. According to Witkoff, the strike compromised Qatar’s role as the negotiators’ primary link to Hamas, slowing progress on critical diplomatic efforts.

Trump responded on social media, clarifying that the strike “was a decision made by Prime Minister Netanyahu, it was not a decision made by me.” Kushner added that Trump felt Israel “was getting a little bit out of control in what they were doing” and needed to be restrained to protect long-term interests.

Despite the setback, Israel and Hamas ultimately reached a deal for Hamas to release all remaining hostages and for Israel to withdraw its forces to an agreed line. On Monday, 20 living hostages were released, with Hamas also handing over the remains of others.

by Vugar Khalilov