Brett McGurk details missed Saudi-Israel deal, Hamas attack and US hostage diplomacy
In a televised interview, former Middle-East adviser Brett McGurk says a Saudi-Israel normalization plan was derailed by the Oct. 7 Hamas assault and describes the U.S. intelligence gaps and hostage negotiations that followed.
During the interview, Brett McGurk explains that early 2023 negotiations between Saudi Arabia and Israel, supported by the Biden administration, were on track to create a civilian nuclear pact and a pathway to Palestinian statehood, but the Oct. 7 Hamas offensive abruptly halted progress. He asserts that neither U.S. nor Israeli intelligence detected actionable warnings, and calls for a thorough Israeli commission of inquiry.
McGurk describes Qatar’s pivotal mediation with Hamas, the intricate hostage-exchange calculations, and the U.S. decision to pause certain weapons deliveries to Israel. He also discusses internal disagreements within the U.S. team over regional threats from Iran and Hezbollah, the political fallout over aid and humanitarian concerns, and the missed opportunity to act sooner on Saudi normalization after the Crown Prince’s overture.
Why it matters
The interview reveals how missed diplomatic chances and intelligence lapses shaped the Israel-Gaza war and regional stability.
In this story
