Kushner Meets Netanyahu After Hamas Talks on Gaza Plan

Jared Kushner, serving as Middle East envoy for President Donald Trump, met Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in Jerusalem on Monday to discuss implementation of a US-backed plan for Gaza. The talks followed a rare session the previous day in Egypt involving Kushner, Hamas political leader Khalil al-Hayya, and mediators from Egypt, Qatar and Turkey. Former British prime minister Tony Blair and Nickolay Mladenov, director-general of the US-led Board of Peace, also participated in the Egyptian discussions.

The 15-point roadmap calls for phased Israeli troop withdrawals from Gaza, the gradual disarmament of Hamas and other armed groups, and the establishment of a new civilian administration under an international stabilization force. Trump has positioned the Board of Peace, an organization he chairs, as the central body overseeing these steps. Last month the board announced an agreement on complete disarmament, but Israeli officials immediately rejected key provisions that would tie withdrawals to verifiable progress on handing over weapons and shifting governance responsibilities.

Netanyahu has maintained that Israeli forces will remain in Gaza until Hamas is fully disarmed, a stance that aligns with demands from hardline members of his coalition. With national elections scheduled for October, the prime minister faces pressure to demonstrate resolve on security issues while his coalition trails in polls. Hamas has signaled acceptance of the plan in principle yet insists that Israel must first meet its ceasefire commitments, including withdrawals and an end to strikes, before disarmament can proceed.

The sequence of meetings reflects an effort to translate the broad framework into concrete, verifiable actions. Kushner’s engagement with Hamas leaders marks the highest-level contact since the original ceasefire was reached last year. Mladenov, a former UN official with experience in regional diplomacy, and Blair, whose role in postwar governance planning has expanded, are helping coordinate with Arab states that have expressed support for the roadmap. Eight Muslim countries issued a joint statement Sunday criticizing Israel’s rejection of the plan.

Implementation faces multiple structural obstacles. Gaza remains largely under Israeli military control more than ten months after major fighting ended, complicating the creation of a new Palestinian police force and international stabilization presence. Israeli public skepticism about Hamas’s willingness to disarm persists, while Palestinian officials have stressed the need for sequencing that avoids one-sided concessions. Diplomats involved in the process note that any major Israeli policy shift before the October vote appears unlikely.

The Board of Peace, originally focused on Gaza but later expanded to other conflicts, operates without Palestinian representation despite its mandate to shape postwar institutions. The current push centers on bridging the gap between Israel’s security requirements and Hamas’s demand for reciprocal steps. Kushner and his counterparts are expected to continue shuttle diplomacy in the coming days to determine whether phased commitments can be formalized before political timelines in Israel tighten further.