(MENAFN) Two prominent negotiators involved in US President Donald Trump’s efforts to broker a Gaza ceasefire expressed being “very upset” about Israel’s missile attack last September on a facility in Doha, Qatar, where Hamas negotiators were stationed during delicate peace discussions.

They described the event as a significant setback to “trust” and the broader regional mediation initiatives.

In a detailed interview broadcast on Sunday, Jared Kushner—Trump’s son-in-law and informal adviser to the administration—stated that the Israeli strike “violated a lot of the trust that we felt we deserved from the Israeli side,” further commenting that the move “was not a smart strategic move.”

US Middle East Special Envoy Steve Witkoff shared Kushner’s sentiments of disappointment, revealing that both felt “betrayed” by the attack.

The strike happened at a time when negotiations among US, Israeli, and Qatari officials were making headway toward achieving a ceasefire and resolving hostage issues.

“We were having a very productive session,” Witkoff remembered. “Then we woke up the next morning to find out that there had been this attack.”

The two negotiators claimed that the bombing “crossed a line” for US mediators and temporarily stalled the talks, leading to Qatar’s isolation—a critical link between Washington and Hamas—and forcing Hamas negotiators to operate covertly.

“We had lost the confidence of the Qataris,” Witkoff explained. “That attack had a metastasizing effect.”

Kushner added that Trump personally stepped in, pressuring Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to offer an apology to Qatar’s leadership.

“That apology was pivotal,” Witkoff emphasized. “It was the linchpin that got us to the next place.”

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