U.S. special envoy to the Middle East Steve Witkoff acknowledged Sunday that Hamas may have “duped” him during critical ceasefire negotiations earlier this month.

Witkoff, who spearheaded efforts to extend the fragile truce in Gaza, had believed that his bridge proposal—a deal that could have halted hostilities through mid-April—had been accepted by the terror group. But Hamas pulled back, shattering hopes for a prolonged ceasefire.

“I thought we had an acceptable deal. I even thought we had an approval from Hamas. Maybe that’s just me getting duped,” Witkoff admitted during an interview on Fox News Sunday. “I thought we were there, and evidently, we weren’t.”

The envoy had traveled to Doha on March 12 to present his plan, which proposed that Hamas release five living hostages in exchange for a larger number of Palestinian security prisoners. Israel, for its part, agreed to the deal. But Hamas refused to move forward.

For weeks, Hamas had insisted on advancing to the second phase of a previous deal—terms that would have required Israel to withdraw completely from Gaza and agree to an indefinite halt to the war. Israel resisted, and negotiations ground to a halt.

Then, on March 14, Hamas made a counteroffer: the release of the last living American-Israeli hostage, along with the remains of four U.S.-Israeli citizens. Witkoff dismissed the proposal as a “non-starter.” Four days later, Israel resumed military operations, marking the collapse of a two-month ceasefire.

“This is on Hamas,” Witkoff said bluntly. “The United States stands with the State of Israel. That’s a 100% commitment.”

The U.S. envoy also issued a pointed message to Iran, reinforcing Washington’s position on nuclear nonproliferation.

“Our signal to Hamas and to Iran is clear—let’s sit down and see if diplomacy can bring us to the right place,” Witkoff said. “If we can, we’re prepared to do that. If we can’t, the alternative is not a great alternative.”

U.S. National Security Adviser Mike Waltz echoed those sentiments in a separate interview on CBS’s Face the Nation, asserting that Washington’s stance remains firm: Iran must fully dismantle its nuclear program.

“All options are on the table,” Waltz warned. “It is time for Iran to walk away completely from its desire to have a nuclear weapon.”

Meanwhile, the U.S. has intensified its military response against Iran-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen, following a series of brazen attacks on key maritime routes.

“The last time one of our destroyers went through the straits there, it was attacked 23 times,” Waltz revealed. “Seventy-five percent of our U.S.-flagged shipping now has to reroute around Africa instead of passing through the Suez Canal. Keeping trade and commerce open is a fundamental aspect of our national security.”

(YWN World Headquarters – NYC)