Jared Kushner, US envoy and son-in-law to President Donald Trump, engaged in two days of talks with Israeli and Hamas leaders to revive a stalled Gaza peace plan. Despite these discussions, a breakthrough was not achieved, as both sides held firm on their core demands. Kushner described his nearly four-hour meeting with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu as "good" and noted that Hamas representatives said "all the right things."
The central sticking point remains Israel's insistence that Hamas disarm completely before any withdrawal of Israeli troops from Gaza or the commencement of reconstruction efforts. Netanyahu previously rejected a 15-point, US-backed roadmap that Hamas had agreed to, stating there would be no withdrawal without disarmament. A senior Israeli official confirmed an agreement that no redeployment or reconstruction would occur in Gaza before Hamas is disarmed throughout the territory. It was also agreed that a US general would oversee the decommissioning of Hamas's weapons, with initial progress potentially seen within 30 days and tunnels filled within 60 to 90 days.
Kushner emphasized that the rebuilding of Gaza is conditional on demilitarization, stating, "We're very committed to the fact that we have a plan to rebuild Gaza, but we will not allow Gaza to be rebuilt until the demilitarization occurs." He suggested that if Hamas disarms willingly, it would be a significant achievement for Israel's security. However, if Hamas fails to comply, Kushner indicated that Israel would receive increased support from the US and others to "finish the job."
Netanyahu, facing a tough reelection campaign in October, is unlikely to make concessions before the vote, as most Israelis favor continuing the war. An Israeli official confirmed that Netanyahu made it clear that troops would not withdraw and would continue operations as necessary. The US will not restrict Israel's right to self-defense if there are imminent threats. Hamas, for its part, has demanded that Israel adhere to the ceasefire and withdraw its forces from Gaza, disputing the sequencing of the plan's implementation. A working group on disarmament and another on sanitation and public health issues have been agreed upon by Netanyahu and Kushner. Since October, over 1,200 Palestinians and four Israeli soldiers have been killed.
