U.S. Special Envoy to the Middle East Steve Witkoff said he had formed an emotional connection with senior Hamas leader Khalil al-Hayya — an unrepentant terrorist who has repeatedly described the October 7th attacks as a “source of pride” for Palestinians — because both men had lost their sons.

Witkoff’s son, Andrew, died in 2011 from an accidental opioid overdose. Al-Hayya’s son, Hamam, was killed in an Israeli airstrike on a Hamas compound in Qatar this September.

Witkoff and Jared Kushner — former President Donald Trump’s son-in-law and one of the architects of the Abraham Accords — met face-to-face with the Hamas leader in an attempt to secure a ceasefire and hostage deal.