Steve Witkoff Photo: Evelyn Hockstein / AP / Profimedia
The US envoy for the Middle East, Steve Witkoff, said in an interview that he felt “betrayed” after Israel's attack last month on Qatar, Washington's ally and mediator in the Gaza war, France Presse reports, according to Agerpres.
“Jared and I felt a little betrayed,” he explained alongside Jared Kushner, Donald Trump's son-in-law, in an interview with CBS television that first aired Friday.
The Israeli attack, which targeted a meeting of the leaders of the Palestinian Islamist movement Hamas in Doha last month, killed six people, including a member of the Qatari security forces.
This has infuriated the rich gas-producing state and its Gulf neighbors, who depend heavily on the United States for their security.
Donald Trump “felt that the Israelis were losing control of their actions and that it was time to take a firm stand and prevent them from doing things that, in his view, were not in their long-term interest,” added Jared Kushner, who was involved in negotiations to end the Gaza war, according to the same excerpts.
The full interview will air on Sunday.
The Qataris played “a critical role in the negotiations, as did the Egyptians and the Turks,” Steve Witkoff said, adding that he learned of the attacks the next morning.
“We lost the trust of the Qataris. Hamas went into hiding again and it was very difficult to get in touch with them,” he added.
A cease-fire agreement between Israel and Hamas came into force on October 10, based on Donald Trump's 20-point peace plan, after two years of war that ravaged the Gaza Strip.
Under pressure from the US president, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu apologized to Qatar from the White House.
