From the Liveblog of
Friday, May 9, 2025
Report: US heavily pressuring Israel to reach deal with Hamas; Witkoff asked for his criticism of Jerusalem to be leaked
US President Donald Trump’s administration is heavily pressuring Israel to reach a ceasefire-hostage deal with Hamas ahead of Trump’s visit to the Middle East, threatening that if Jerusalem doesn’t move along with the US toward such an agreement, Israel will be “left alone,” Haaretz reports, citing an unnamed source familiar with the details.
The outlet says the office of Strategic Affairs Minister Ron Dermer refused to comment.
The report adds, without citing a source, that Steve Witkoff is the anonymous senior US official cited by Channel 12 as criticizing Israel’s conduct in a meeting with families of hostages.
“If until today, the hostages paid the price for not ending the war, then today the price will be much heavier for Israel, and not only the hostages,” the official was quoted as saying, adding that Israel has failed to take advantage of the emerging US nuclear agreement with Saudi Arabia, which Trump is reportedly no longer conditioning on Riyadh normalizing ties with the Jewish state.
“If Israel doesn’t come to its senses, the price of missing out will be higher than ever before,” the official — reportedly Witkoff — warned.
Haaretz also reports that Witkoff’s criticism of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government was leaked to the media at Witkoff’s request.
Witkoff’s office is denying that the administration is pressuring Israel to reach a deal.
The Times of Israel Community.