Kushner, Witkoff Describe Gaza as “Nuclear-Like Ruins” but Deny Genocide in CBS Interview

By Staff, Agencies

In a CBS 60 Minutes interview, former US presidential advisor Jared Kushner and Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff depicted Gaza’s devastation in haunting detail but rejected accusations that “Israel” committed genocide.

Kushner, who served as senior advisor to President Donald Trump, likened Gaza’s destruction to the aftermath of a nuclear strike.

“It looked almost like a nuclear bomb had been set off in that area,” he told interviewer Lesley Stahl, describing Palestinians returning to the ruins of their homes to pitch tents on the rubble. “They really have nowhere else to go,” he added.

Despite the grim portrayal, Kushner denied that the devastation amounted to genocide. When asked directly by Stahl, he replied, “No, no.” Witkoff agreed, saying, “Absolutely not… There was a war being fought.”

The discussion also touched on concerns over Kushner and Witkoff’s business ties to Gulf states, including Qatar, a key mediator in the Gaza ceasefire.

Kushner defended their involvement, arguing that their global connections helped secure the hostage release deal. “If Steve and I didn’t have these deep relationships, the deal we got done would not have occurred,” he said.

Witkoff criticized “Israel’s” recent strike on Qatar that hit members of the Resistance’s negotiating team, calling it a “metastasizing effect” that undermined trust and forced Hamas underground.

He added that Trump grew frustrated afterward, believing “Israel was getting a little bit out of control” and needed restraint to protect broader US interests.