US President Donald Trump’s son-in-law and envoy Jared Kushner met Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in Jerusalem on Monday as Washington sought to revive a stalled plan to end the Gaza conflict.
The meeting came two weeks after Hamas endorsed the latest phase of Trump’s Gaza roadmap, which Netanyahu has rejected, insisting that any agreement must ensure the group is “genuinely disarmed”.
A diplomatic official confirmed that the meeting began late on Monday morning.
Kushner held talks with Hamas leader Khalil al-Hayya in Egypt’s El-Alamein on Sunday, according to sources familiar with the discussions. During the meeting, Kushner pressed Hamas to provide verification that it was surrendering its weapons and to rule out any future role in governing Gaza, the sources said.
Netanyahu was expected to hold closed-door discussions with Kushner and Nickolay Mladenov, the high representative for Gaza on Trump’s “Board of Peace”, which is tasked with implementing the proposed roadmap.
Israeli media reported that former British prime minister Tony Blair, a senior Board of Peace official, would also attend the meeting.
A Hamas official said the group had reaffirmed its commitment to the Gaza plan during talks with Kushner and urged Washington to pressure Israel to implement the agreement.
“Hamas is demanding that the US administration… pressure Netanyahu’s government to adhere to and implement the roadmap agreement,” the official told AFP.
The Trump administration has increasingly engaged directly with Hamas in an effort to end the conflict. Washington also played a role in negotiating the October ceasefire that resulted in the release of remaining Israeli hostages.
Netanyahu, who faces elections in October that are expected to be closely contested, has increasingly shown willingness to challenge Trump despite previously highlighting the US president’s support.
The Israeli prime minister has also expressed dissatisfaction with Trump’s decision to end the US-Israeli war with Iran and pursue a settlement with Tehran.
After initially offering limited criticism of the Gaza roadmap, Netanyahu told his cabinet last week that he rejected the proposal and would not withdraw Israeli troops from Gaza.
His position came despite assurances from Mladenov that Israel would not be required to withdraw until Hamas had been fully disarmed. This represented a shift from earlier calls by the Board of Peace for Israel to begin a phased withdrawal.
Meanwhile, Israel’s far-right National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir has called for intensified targeted killings in Gaza. His remarks, made during a podcast with a former Gaza hostage, drew further attention to the Israeli government’s hardline position.
On Sunday, eight Muslim-majority countries, including Saudi Arabia, Egypt and the United Arab Emirates, condemned Israel’s rejection of the proposed Gaza roadmap in a joint statement.
Israel has continued airstrikes in Gaza following a temporary lull after Trump unveiled his peace initiative. The October ceasefire also failed to bring a complete end to violence in the territory.
According to Gaza’s health ministry, at least 1,265 Palestinians have been killed since the ceasefire took effect on October 10. The Israeli military has reported five deaths among its troops during Gaza operations over the same period.
