Kushner reveals how failed Doha strike helped Washington pressure Israel on Gaza

Jared Kushner, President Donald Trump's son-in-law and key US diplomat on the Gaza Strip, harshly criticized Israel's Doha strikes last year while acknowledging Washington used the fallout to pressure Israel toward an agreement. Speaking at a conference in Kyiv via video, Kushner bluntly described the strike as "a terrible thing" and "unsuccessful as a military operation," noting it left Israel globally isolated.

He then revealed that the Trump administration saw a diplomatic opportunity in the crisis and pushed Israel toward a deal, which Israel is now "quite happy" with. The agreement is expected to progress further as Israel demilitarizes. Kushner emphasized that the initial diplomatic setback for Israel became a strategic opening due to extensive preparatory work.

He stressed that without the groundwork beforehand, the crisis would not have provided leverage for Washington to push Israel toward a broader arrangement. This public acknowledgment of the Doha strike's strategic damage to Israel is rare and marks a departure from the administration's previous private assessments.