Washington, D.C. – October 20, 2025 – In a candid assessment that has ignited fierce debate across the Middle East and beyond, Jared Kushner, President Donald Trump's son-in-law and informal Middle East adviser, declared that Hamas has been "acting in good faith" in implementing the fragile Gaza ceasefire deal. The comments, delivered during a primetime interview on CBS's 60 Minutes that aired Sunday evening, come just 10 days after the historic agreement took effect, marking the end of a devastating two-year war that claimed over 67,000 Palestinian lives and more than 1,200 Israelis in its initial stages.
Kushner, who played a pivotal role alongside U.S. Special Envoy Steve Witkoff in brokering the deal, cited intelligence from Qatari, Egyptian, and Turkish mediators as evidence of Hamas's compliance so far. "As far as we've seen from what's being conveyed to us from the mediators, they are so far," Kushner told correspondent Lesley Stahl, responding to questions about whether the Palestinian militant group was honoring its commitments. He emphasized that while the truce "could break down at any minute," current indicators showed Hamas "looking to honor their agreement."
The ceasefire, the first major breakthrough since hostilities reignited in early 2025 after a brief pause in January, has already delivered partial successes: the release of all 20 remaining living Israeli hostages held by Hamas on October 11, and the reciprocal freeing of nearly 2,000 Palestinian prisoners from Israeli detention, including some convicted of terrorism-related offenses. Israeli forces have begun a staged withdrawal from portions of Gaza, allowing humanitarian aid convoys to flow more freely into the besieged territory for the first time in months. Yet, as Kushner's optimistic tone aired, fresh reports of skirmishes threatened to unravel the progress, underscoring the razor-thin margin for error in a conflict rooted in decades of enmity.
The Road to Reluctant Agreement
The path to this ceasefire was anything but straightforward, a testament to the high-stakes diplomacy orchestrated by Trump's inner circle. Unveiled on September 29, 2025, as Trump's "20-point peace plan," the proposal demanded an immediate halt to fighting, the swift exchange of captives, and a pathway to Hamas's disarmament in exchange for Israeli territorial concessions and international oversight of Gaza's reconstruction. Trump issued a stark ultimatum to Hamas: accept by October 5 or face "all hell," a threat that blended his signature bravado with genuine pressure from Arab allies like Saudi Arabia, Jordan, the UAE, Qatar, and Egypt.
Negotiations intensified in Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt, where Kushner and Witkoff arrived on October 8, joining Qatari Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani and Turkish intelligence chief İbrahim Kalın. A pivotal moment came after an Israeli airstrike on September 9 targeted Hamas leaders in Doha, Qatar, prompting universal Arab condemnation and nearly derailing talks. In a rare diplomatic concession, Trump directed Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to personally apologize to Qatar's leadership during an Oval Office call scripted by White House aides—a move Kushner described as essential to rebuilding trust.
Another breakthrough emerged from personal tragedy. Witkoff, who lost a son years earlier, bonded with Hamas negotiator Khalil al-Hayya over shared grief—al-Hayya's son was killed in the Doha strike. "It was a moment of human connection," Witkoff recounted on 60 Minutes, crediting it with softening hardened positions. Trump himself intervened multiple times, placing three calls during marathon sessions to urge compromise.
Hamas, facing isolation from regional powers and military exhaustion, gambled on the deal despite its demands for eventual disarmament—a red line the group had long rejected. Sources close to the talks told Reuters that Hamas viewed the agreement as a "hudna," or temporary truce, to regroup, though publicly they pledged good-faith participation. Israel, for its part, secured guarantees of no immediate full withdrawal, maintaining buffer zones in northern Gaza.
The deal's first phase activated on October 10, with scenes of jubilation in Tel Aviv's Hostages Square, where crowds chanted "Thank You Trump!" as families reunited. Trump jetted to Jerusalem and Sharm el-Sheikh for summits, receiving a standing ovation in Israel's Knesset and signing the accord alongside Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi. "Now the rebuilding begins," Trump declared, touting visions of Gaza as the "Riviera of the Middle East"—a redevelopment blueprint first floated by Kushner at a 2024 Harvard event.
Monitoring Compliance: A Delicate Balance
Kushner's remarks on 60 Minutes focused on the joint U.S.-Israeli-mediator monitoring mechanism tracking implementation. "The US, Israel, and mediators are jointly monitoring," he said, highlighting progress on recovering the remains of 28 deceased Israeli hostages—a process reliant on coordination between Israeli authorities and the Qatari-Egyptian-Turkish trio relaying directives to Hamas in Gaza. As of Sunday, only four bodies had been returned, prompting accusations from hostage families of bad faith and calls to suspend the truce. Kushner countered that Hamas was "actually looking for the bodies" and not deliberately delaying, attributing holdups to logistical challenges in war-torn tunnels.
Washington's role extends to nudging both sides toward proactivity. "We're pushing both sides to be proactive in finding solutions instead of blaming each other for breakdowns," Kushner emphasized, with the aim of sustaining stability through Phase One, which includes unrestricted aid flows and partial Israeli pullbacks. Vice President JD Vance, Witkoff, and Kushner are scheduled to arrive in Israel this week for Phase Two talks, focusing on disarmament, governance transitions, and amnesty for Hamas members.
Yet, optimism is tempered by reality. On October 19, Israeli airstrikes targeted southern Gaza after Hamas fired anti-tank missiles at IDF troops near Rafah, killing at least 10 Palestinians and wounding dozens. Netanyahu decried it as a "violation," vowing retaliation, while Hamas's military wing claimed severed contact with fighters in Israeli-controlled zones. U.S. officials notified in advance of the strikes called it a "test" of the truce, scrambling to de-escalate via backchannels.
Kushner dismissed genocide allegations against Israel as "absolutely not" true, pointing to Hamas's tactics as the root of destruction: "Tens of thousands of Palestinians killed... half of Gaza destroyed" due to the group's use of human shields and infrastructure as cover. He advocated creating a "viable alternative" governance in Gaza to marginalize Hamas, predicting the group would "fail" without popular support.
Echoes of Division: Reactions Pour In
Kushner's praise for Hamas elicited a torrent of responses. In Israel, hardliners like Minister May Golan expressed frustration to Kushner directly: "We are a peace-seeking country... but there is no partner on the other side." Kushner replied that the deal isolates Hamas while bolstering Israel's security ties with Arab states. Families of hostages fumed over the incomplete body returns, with one group demanding an "immediate suspension" of the agreement. On X, users voiced widespread Israeli discontent: "Keeping Hamas alive is a disaster," reflecting fears that the truce preserves the group's influence. Conversely, others hailed Kushner, Trump, and Witkoff for making the region "safer," though decrying Hamas's partial compliance.
Palestinian voices in Gaza mixed hope with skepticism. Al Jazeera reported residents in Khan Younis celebrating initial releases but worrying Israel might resume attacks post-hostage handover, viewing the truce as a "winning card" for Netanyahu. Activists criticized Kushner for praising Israeli "heroism" amid ruins, arguing "apartheid doesn’t end with a ceasefire." On X, some highlighted Trump's alleged promises to allow Israeli violations, fueling distrust.
Globally, reactions were polarized. Some warned the deal risks repeating past failures by deferring thorny issues like disarmament and governance. Others called it a potential "great achievement" if it holds, while noting Hamas's high-stakes bet on Trump's word. Critics spotlighted Kushner's "enormous conflict of interest," given his Gulf business ties—billions in investments potentially benefiting from Gaza's reconstruction. Kushner brushed it off: "What people call conflicts of interest, Steve and I call experience and trusted relationships."
Unresolved Shadows: Phase Two and Beyond
As Phase One unfolds, unresolved questions loom large. The plan envisions an international trusteeship for Gaza, excluding Hamas from governance and convening experts for economic revival—potentially modeled on UAE's miracle cities. Disarmament remains contentious: Hamas insists on guarantees against Israeli re-invasion, while Netanyahu's coalition demands full demilitarization. Analysts warn domestic politics could bog down Phase Two, with Netanyahu possibly prolonging the status quo to appease hardliners.
Humanitarian needs are acute: Gaza's health ministry reports 170,000 wounded, with vast swaths uninhabitable. Aid groups praise the open corridors but urge swift reconstruction to avert famine. Advisers stress a "day after" strategy integrating Palestinian Authority elements—though Israel resists any Hamas role.
Kushner's interview, conducted amid these tensions, underscores his real estate lens on diplomacy: Treat conflicts as "deals," not crusades. "We had to write complex words to deal with 50 years of stupid word games," he quipped, lamenting historical posturing. Yet, as clashes persist, the 60 Minutes spotlight amplifies calls for accountability. Will Hamas's "good faith" endure, or fracture under mutual suspicions? With Vance's delegation inbound, the next 30 days are indeed "critical," as one U.S. official put it.
Trump's triumph, if sustained, could redefine his presidency—earning Nobel whispers his supporters crave. But failure risks entrenching cycles of violence, leaving Gaza's civilians—neither architects nor beneficiaries of these pacts—as eternal collateral. As Kushner told Stahl, "We're here to do good... impossible tasks." The world watches, warily, to see if good faith prevails.
