US President Donald Trump's Middle East envoy Jared Kushner has arrived in Israel, where he is expected to meet with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Monday.
This follows Kushner's rare talks with Hamas to discuss the implementation of the US-backed Gaza peace plan.
Last month, Trump's Board of Peace announced an agreement for the "complete disarmament" of Hamas and other armed groups in Gaza. However, Israel rejected Trump's 15-point plan last week, which also calls for Israeli troops to withdraw and for Gaza to be rebuilt under a new civilian Palestinian administration.
Eight Muslim countries issued a statement on Sunday condemning Israel's rejection.
Trump leads the Board of Peace, an international organization initially created to bring peace to Gaza but later expanded to encompass global conflicts.
A Palestinian official informed the BBC that Trump's son-in-law met a delegation led by Hamas's new leader Khalil al-Hayya in Egypt on Sunday. Hamas, in a subsequent statement, urged mediators and the Board of Peace to "compel" Israel to approve the roadmap for the next steps.
However, Netanyahu faces a challenging October election to retain power, leading a coalition that includes ministers advocating for a tougher stance on Gaza. Many Israelis also remain skeptical about Hamas's readiness to disarm.
Kushner's meeting with Hayya is reportedly the first at this level since last year's ceasefire agreement for the Gaza Strip. Board of Peace envoys Nickolay Mladenov and former UK Prime Minister Tony Blair were reportedly also present, along with representatives from Egypt, Qatar, and Turkey, who have been involved in mediation efforts.
No official statement has been released regarding the talks, which reportedly focused on concrete actions for decommissioning Hamas's weapons, the withdrawal of Israeli troops, and humanitarian efforts.
While in Egypt, Kushner also met with Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi. According to Israeli media reports, Mladenov and Blair are also scheduled to meet Netanyahu on Monday to advance Trump's plan.
Netanyahu has stated his requirement for complete Hamas disarmament before implementing the deal. "Israel rejects the Board of Peace's 15-point document on Gaza. The IDF will not carry out any withdrawal until Hamas is genuinely disarmed," Netanyahu stated last week, defying Israel's closest ally.
Netanyahu is facing pressure within his own cabinet to continue operations in Gaza. Earlier this month, Israeli National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir dismissed the draft plan as "not acceptable." In a podcast interview on August 15, Ben Gvir expressed his disagreement with the prime minister regarding a reduction in Israeli operations in Gaza, suggesting "targeted assassinations" and stating that certain individuals "are not worthy of life. They shouldn't live. They're not even people." These comments were also reported by the Financial Times and Times of Israel.
Following Israel's rejection of the 15-point plan, there appeared to be a pause in Israeli airstrikes on Gaza, although attacks have since resumed. In a joint statement on Sunday, Egypt, the UAE, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Turkey, Pakistan, and Indonesia expressed concern that Israel's rejection of the US plan jeopardized Trump's peace efforts.
The ceasefire, which took effect on October 10 last year, remains in place. However, the Israel Defense Forces have conducted near-daily strikes since then. According to the Hamas-run Health Ministry, whose figures are considered reliable by the UN, over 1,200 people have been killed since the ceasefire. Unicef reports that at least 300 children have been killed.
There was a lull in attacks – reportedly at the request of the US – even after Israel rejected the 15-point plan. However, Israeli strikes have since resumed. The Israeli military announced on Sunday that it had targeted Hamas and Islamic Jihad "terrorists" in Khan Younis and Nuseirat. Local medics reported that several individuals residing in a tent camp in Khan Younis were injured.
Israel and Hamas accuse each other of ceasefire violations.
The war was initiated by the Hamas-led attack on southern Israel on October 7, 2023, which resulted in approximately 1,200 deaths and 251 hostages taken. Israel responded with a military campaign in Gaza, during which the territory's health ministry, whose figures are considered reliable by the UN, reports that over 73,000 people have been killed, including 21,280 children. The UN estimates that approximately 1.9 million people – 90% of Gaza's population – have been displaced since the conflict began.
