Kushner Says US Leveraged Israel's Isolation After Doha Strike to Secure Gaza Deal

Jared Kushner, a special adviser to Donald Trump, stated during a video appearance at a conference in Kyiv that the United States used the international isolation of Israel following a strike in Doha, Qatar, to push the country toward a Gaza agreement. Kushner described the strike as a terrible thing and called it unsuccessful as a military operation. He explained that the Trump administration viewed the resulting diplomatic crisis as an opening to apply pressure on Israel, noting that while Israel was uncomfortable with the push at the time, they are now quite happy with the deal.

Kushner emphasized that the outcome was the result of combining this diplomatic opening with extensive preparatory work. He added that the agreement would be beneficial as a new government takes over Gaza during the demilitarization process. Netanyahu's Likud party responded to these remarks by asserting that the attack on the Hamas headquarters was actually a decisive factor in securing the release of hostages. Prime Minister Netanyahu had previously apologized to Qatar for the strike.

Reporting on the event differed slightly by political lean. A center leaning source focused on the conflict between Kushner's claims and the Likud party's rebuttal. A center right leaning source provided more extensive detail on Kushner's specific language and framed the event as a rare public glimpse into the Trump administration's internal diplomatic strategy.