In candid podcast interview, top Trump aide indicates renewed IDF strikes may be necessary after Hamas intransigence, says PM ‘going up against Israeli public opinion that wants hostages back’

By Jacob Magid Follow22 March 2025, 12:44 pm

US special envoy to the Mideast Steve Witkoff is interviewed on Tucker Carlson’s podcast on March 21, 2025. (Screen capture/X)

US special envoy to the Mideast Steve Witkoff said Friday that he doesn’t believe Hamas is “ideologically intractable,” while arguing that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is “well-motivated,” but operating against Israeli public opinion that prioritizes freeing the remaining hostages from Gaza over the destruction of Hamas.

In a 90-minute interview chock-full of headlines, Witkoff discussed the motivations of Israel, Hamas and Qatar in the ongoing Gaza war, offered an assertive defense of Doha against critics questioning the Islamist country’s motivations, and acknowledged his concern about the Gaza war’s potential for destabilizing countries like Egypt and Saudi Arabia. He also suggested that Syria’s new leader Ahmed al-Sharaa could be a changed man since his days in Al-Qaeda, revealed new details about his successful January brokering of the now-defunct Gaza ceasefire’s first phase, and insisted that the Iranian nuclear threat can be solved diplomatically.

Witkoff held the conversation with Tucker Carlson, a right-wing talk show host who has come under fire in American Jewish circles for hosting guests who have pushed antisemitic claims and Holocaust revisionism. He is also known to enjoy a very large fan base, particularly among Trump supporters.Keep WatchingPromoted: Israel Bonds00:00/02:36

The filmed podcast interview began with Trump’s Mideast envoy explaining that his job requires him to understand the motivations of the various players with whom he engages.

“What does Hamas want? I think they want to stay there till the end of time. They want to rule Gaza, and that’s unacceptable. We had to know that… What they want is unacceptable,” Witkoff said.

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“What’s acceptable to us is [that] they need to demilitarize. Then maybe they could stay there a little bit… be involved politically,” he continued.

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