Hamas chief heads to Cairo as Kushner returns for Gaza peace push
Hamas political chief Khalil al-Hayya is set to travel to Cairo on Saturday evening for talks with Egyptian officials, a Hamas source said, ahead of a visit by Jared Kushner, the United States President Donald Trump's envoy, to the region.
Hayya, who assumed leadership of Hamas in late July, is scheduled to meet Egypt's intelligence chief Hassan Rashad on Sunday morning, the source said. This will be his first trip to Egypt since taking over the role.
Kushner is expected to visit Israel and Egypt next week, accompanied by Nickolay Mladenov, the high representative for Gaza of the Board of Peace. The visit aims to bridge differences over a Gaza plan that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has publicly rejected.
The trip comes after Netanyahu dismissed a 15-point plan announced by Mladenov, under which Hamas agreed to hand over its weapons to a new Palestinian governing committee in Gaza. Netanyahu has expressed scepticism about Hamas's willingness to disarm, insisting that the group should destroy its weapons in a verifiable manner.
A Board of Peace official said Kushner and Mladenov hoped for "constructive conversations" on advancing Trump's broader peace plan. That plan began with a ceasefire declared in October 2025, which has reduced but not ended Israeli strikes in Gaza.
The latest component of the Gaza plan, to which Hamas agreed in late July, would initiate a phased Israeli withdrawal from much of the Strip, according to an initial version released by the Board of Peace. Mladenov later clarified that Israel would not need to withdraw troops until Hamas had fully disarmed, a condition that has further complicated negotiations.
Since Hamas took control of Gaza in 2007, the territory has faced repeated Israeli military operations and a blockade. The October 2025 ceasefire, brokered with U.S. involvement, brought a halt to the most recent round of fighting, but the underlying issues of disarmament, governance, and borders have yet to be resolved.
Netanyahu has vowed not to withdraw forces, citing security concerns and Hamas's refusal to disarm. Meanwhile, Hamas says it is abiding by the agreement. Political bureau member Bassem Naim said on Friday that the group was awaiting pressure from mediators and the U.S. side to compel Netanyahu to follow the roadmap.
"We continue to await pressure from the mediators and the U.S. side on Netanyahu and his government to compel him to abide by the roadmap," Naim told AFP.
Egypt has been a key mediator in the Israel-Hamas conflict for years, and the Cairo talks are seen as an important step in the latest diplomatic push. The presence of both Hamas and U.S. envoys in the region within the same week highlights the urgency of resolving the Gaza situation, which remains fragile nearly a year after the ceasefire.
The Board of Peace, an initiative established by the Trump administration, is designed to implement the peace plan. However, the plan has faced significant hurdles, including disagreements over disarmament, Israeli troop withdrawal, and the governance of post-conflict Gaza.
The outcome of the upcoming meetings could determine the next phase of the peace process. While both sides have expressed willingness to engage, the gaps remain wide, and the role of mediators, particularly Egypt, will be crucial in narrowing them.
