Kushner Meets Hamas Leaders in Egypt Ahead of Netanyahu Talks on Gaza Plan
The Facts
- Jared Kushner, President Trump's son-in-law and envoy, met Hamas leaders in Egypt on Sunday, officials said.
- The Hamas delegation was led by Khalil al-Hayya, who became the group's leader in July.
- Kushner was scheduled to meet Netanyahu in Jerusalem on Monday.
- Netanyahu rejected the 15-point, US-backed road map for Gaza last week.
- The 15-point road map calls for Hamas to disarm and for Israeli troops to withdraw from Gaza.
- Trump said last month that his Board of Peace had reached an agreement aimed at disarming Hamas.
- Officials say Hamas has conditioned the start of disarmament on Israeli commitments and actions.
- About 2 million people live in Gaza, which is now largely controlled by Israeli forces.
- Israel continued airstrikes in Gaza as the talks took place.
- Muslim-majority countries including Egypt, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and Turkey issued a statement Sunday condemning Israel's rejection of the plan.
Context
What does the US-backed plan actually require?
The 15-point road map, presented by Board of Peace envoy Nickolay Mladenov, would keep the ceasefire in place, disarm Hamas, pull Israeli forces back, and rebuild Gaza under a new civilian Palestinian administration BBC,Hindustan Times. A source briefed on Kushner's talks said the aim is to turn the plan into verifiable steps, including transferring governing responsibilities to a National Committee for the Administration of Gaza, ensuring Hamas has no future governing role, and deploying an international stabilizing force Aol,CBS News.
Why did Netanyahu reject the plan?
Netanyahu said Israeli forces would not withdraw until Hamas is disarmed, and called the plan "unacceptable" Indian Express,NY Post. An Arab diplomat told The Times of Israel that Hamas will only begin implementing disarmament if Netanyahu publicly commits to the plan's terms, and that he is unlikely to shift position before the October 27 Knesset election Times of Israel.
Why is a Kushner-Hamas meeting notable?
Reports described the encounter as a rare direct meeting between a senior US official and Hamas ITV Hub,Guardian,Washington Post. A similar meeting in Egypt last year involving Kushner, envoy Steve Witkoff and Hamas leaders helped secure the ceasefire that ended major military operations more than 10 months ago ITV Hub,Guardian,India Today.
Where Left and Right agree, and where they split
- Where Left and Right agree
- The road map's pairing of Hamas disarmament with Israeli withdrawal is the workable frame, and Netanyahu's rejection of it is treated by both as an obstacle rather than a settled answer.
- Where Left and Right split
- Left and right both want Netanyahu's rejection overruled — they split on what American leverage should buy first.
How left and right read it
Two million people live in a territory Israeli forces largely control, so the side holding the ground carries the burden of proving it will move — yet Netanyahu rejected the very road map that paired withdrawal with disarmament. Hamas conditioning disarmament on Israeli commitments is reciprocity, because that plan made the two steps inseparable. What weight can such a demand carry when it is pressed by an envoy holding no government post?
“Though Mr. Kushner does not hold an official U.S. government position, Mr. Trump has tapped him, alongside former real estate developer Steve Witkoff, to lead negotiations on matters as diverse as Russia's invasion of Ukraine and the Israeli-Hamas war.” — The New York Times
American leverage exists to end this war on terms that verifiably disarm Hamas, not to underwrite it indefinitely — which is why Kushner met Hamas leaders in Egypt Sunday and was due with Netanyahu in Jerusalem Monday. Trump's Board of Peace announced an agreement aimed at disarmament, with Arab and Muslim-majority governments carrying weight behind the plan Netanyahu rejected, so his refusal cannot be the last word. Press the deal.
“Four major Arab nations and three other Muslim-majority powers are joining with President Trump to push for a US-backed Gaza peace deal -- even as Israel rejected the plan and carried on with airstrikes in the Palestinian enclave.” — New York Post
This isn't really a fight about Netanyahu's no — it's about what Americans believe their leverage is for.
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