US special envoy Steve Witkoff acknowledged on Sunday that he may have been misled by Hamas during the recent failed ceasefire negotiations.

“I certainly hope we get everybody back to the table and get the hostages home,” Witkoff said on Fox News Sunday. “I thought we had a deal — an acceptable deal. I even thought we had an approval from Hamas.”

“Maybe that’s just me getting duped,” he admitted. “I thought we were there, and evidently, we weren’t.”

Witkoff reaffirmed America’s commitment to Israel, making it clear where the responsibility for the conflict lies.

“The US stands with the State of Israel,” he declared. “We need to be clear who the aggressor is here, and that is Hamas.”

Witkoff’s comments come several days after Israel launched surprise strikes against terrorist targets in Gaza, following Hamas’ refusal to release more hostages and its rejection of Witkoff’s proposal for a ceasefire.

White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt told reporters on Thursday that President Donald Trump "fully supports" Israel's attack on the Gaza Strip.

Trump’s National Security Advisor, Mike Waltz, later similarly expressed support for Israel’s renewed military campaign against the Hamas terrorist organization.

In a post on X, Waltz stressed that Hamas is to blame for the renewed fighting due to its refusal to release more hostages.

“Israel has every right to defend its people from Hamas terrorists. The ceasefire would have been extended if Hamas released all remaining hostages. Instead, they chose war,” the National Security Advisor added.