Jared Kushner, serving as an envoy and son-in-law to Donald Trump, engaged in a diplomatic meeting with Hamas political leader Khalil al-Hayya in Egypt on Sunday. This encounter is part of a renewed United States effort to jumpstart a stalled ceasefire plan for Gaza. The meeting was strategically planned a day before Kushner’s scheduled discussions with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Netanyahu recently dismissed a US-endorsed 15-point plan aimed at advancing the ceasefire, which proposes gradual disarmament of Hamas in exchange for a halt in Israeli military actions and a partial withdrawal from Gaza.
The proposed road map includes significant steps such as reconstruction efforts and the deployment of international forces to ensure security. While Hamas has expressed a commitment to the plan, it insists that Israel must cease attacks and retreat to the agreed “yellow line” before any implementation. Additionally, Hamas has linked the disarmament of its heavier weapons to tangible progress toward establishing a Palestinian state, a concept that Netanyahu’s administration opposes.
Netanyahu has maintained that Israeli forces will remain in Gaza until Hamas is entirely disarmed, a stance causing a deadlock in executing critical aspects of the ceasefire plan, including reconstruction and international security efforts. Kushner’s dialogue with Hamas was attended by representatives from Egypt, Qatar, and Turkey, aiming to secure Hamas’s adherence to the disarmament aspect of the plan prior to his meeting with Netanyahu.
In the upcoming talks, Kushner will be joined by former British Prime Minister Tony Blair and Nickolay Mladenov, director of the Board of Peace, in discussions with Netanyahu. The US-backed plan has faced criticism from several regional countries, such as Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Jordan, Pakistan, and Indonesia, all urging Israel to reconsider its rejection to avoid further delays.
This diplomatic initiative comes amid political tension for Netanyahu, who is under pressure ahead of Israel’s October election. His coalition government includes ministers advocating for a more stringent stance on Gaza, casting uncertainty over the ceasefire’s future.