Kushner, Likud clash over factors behind Gaza deal

Jared Kushner, a senior adviser to President Donald Trump, stated that the United States leveraged Israel's international isolation following its failed September 2025 strike in Doha to pressure Israel into accepting a Gaza ceasefire and hostage-release agreement. Speaking at the Yalta European Strategy conference, Kushner described the September 9, 2025, Israeli operation as a "terrible thing" that was "unsuccessful as a military operation" and resulted in Israel being "globally isolated." "We used that dynamic in order to push them into a deal that now, today, they are quite happy with," Kushner said, adding that Israeli officials were initially "a little uncomfortable" with the terms. He stated the outcome ultimately benefited both Israel and the people of Gaza. The strike targeted senior Hamas officials meeting in Doha but failed to kill the group's negotiating leadership. Five lower-ranking Hamas members and a Qatari security officer were killed. The attack drew widespread international condemnation, including from Qatar and the UN Security Council, and temporarily complicated negotiations.