On Sunday, White House envoy Steve Witkoff appeared to threaten Hamas with potential US military action, warning the Palestinian group to look at what the US has done against the Houthis in Yemen.
The comments came a day after the US launched major airstrikes on Yemen, killing at least 53 people, including women and children. Witkoff made the threat when discussing Hamas’s response to his proposal for a temporary Gaza ceasefire deal, which he called “unacceptable.”
“I think there’s an opportunity for [Hamas], but the opportunity is closing fast. What happened with the Houthis yesterday, what happened with our strikes ought to inform as to where we stand with regard to terrorism and our tolerance level for terrorist actions,” Witkoff told CNN host Jake Tapper.
Witkoff has previously appeared to suggest the US could take joint military action with Israel against Gaza, although he clarified that he meant Israel would act with US support. “Any action really principally comes from the Israelis,” he said on March 6. “But you heard the president say yesterday he’s giving the Israelis anything they need. So, it’s the Israelis but with very, very strong physical and emotional support from the US.”
In his interview with Tapper, Witkoff discussed the Gaza proposal he put forward that would include a temporary ceasefire that would go until the end of Passover, which is April 20 this year. He did not elaborate on how Hamas’s response was “unacceptable” but previously suggested the issue is that Hamas wants a permanent ceasefire.
“Unfortunately, Hamas has chosen to respond by publicly claiming flexibility while privately making demands that are entirely impractical without a permanent ceasefire,” Witkoff said on Friday.
The original deal that Israel and Hamas agreed to in January was supposed to lead to a permanent ceasefire and Israeli withdrawal at the end of the first phase. But Israel refused to engage in negotiations on the second phase and has imposed a total blockade on aid and all other goods entering Gaza, a war crime supported by the US.
