Kushner meets Netanyahu after rare Hamas talks to advance Gaza plan
U.S. President Donald Trump's envoy and son-in-law Jared Kushner met with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in Jerusalem on Monday, a day after holding a rare meeting with Hamas leaders in Cairo. The talks are part of an effort to push forward the U.S. president's Gaza plan, which has faced resistance from the Israeli government.
Netanyahu, whose ruling coalition is trailing in Israeli opinion polls ahead of a national election in October, publicly rejected this month a U.S.-backed agreement that would see Hamas surrender its arms in exchange for Israel withdrawing from Gaza. Trump had said the agreement would be carried out in phases, with Israeli forces withdrawing as disarmament proceeded and an International Stabilisation Force working with a new Palestinian police force to secure the territory.
However, Netanyahu, Israel's longest-serving leader, has maintained that the country's military will only withdraw once Hamas and other armed groups in Gaza have been completely disarmed. This position is at odds with the phased approach proposed by the U.S. administration.
Diplomats say Israel is unlikely to make any major concessions over Gaza ahead of the October 27 election, suggesting that the political calendar could further complicate efforts to implement the plan.
The meeting between Kushner and Netanyahu also included Nickolay Mladenov, Trump's Board of Peace envoy for Gaza, according to two sources who spoke on condition of anonymity as they were not authorised to discuss the matter publicly. Netanyahu's office did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Mladenov, a former U.N. official with close ties to the United Arab Emirates, helped broker last month's disarmament agreement and is widely seen as leading efforts to implement Trump's original 20-point plan to end the war, which Israel and Hamas agreed to last year. However, there has so far been little progress, with Israel continuing to carry out strikes on Gaza despite agreeing to a ceasefire as part of Trump's plan.
Hamas last month agreed to a new U.S.-backed 15-point roadmap aimed at moving Trump's plan forward, but Israel rejected that roadmap. Earlier, a source said Hamas leader Khalil Al-Hayya had been present at some of the meetings in Cairo on Sunday that mediators held with Kushner and Mladenov.
This is Kushner's second known meeting with representatives of Hamas, the Palestinian militant group designated as a terrorist organisation by the United States. He previously met Hamas officials alongside U.S. envoy Steve Witkoff in October 2025, helping clinch a deal that led to a ceasefire in Gaza and the release of remaining hostages seized by Hamas in the October 7, 2023 attack on Israel.
Trump said in late July that a deal had been reached for the complete disarmament of Hamas and other armed groups in Gaza. Hamas has said it agreed to the plan, but its implementation would depend on Israel first meeting its own commitments, including withdrawal and halting attacks. The situation on the ground remains tense, with both sides accusing each other of violating the terms of the ceasefire.
The ongoing diplomatic efforts highlight the complexities of achieving a lasting peace in the region. While the U.S. continues to push for a phased approach, the Israeli government's insistence on immediate and complete disarmament presents a significant hurdle. The upcoming Israeli election adds another layer of uncertainty, as Netanyahu's political considerations may influence his willingness to compromise.
Observers note that the involvement of senior U.S. officials, including Kushner and Mladenov, underscores the importance Washington places on resolving the Gaza issue. Nevertheless, the gap between the two sides remains wide, and it is unclear whether the latest round of talks will yield a breakthrough.
