Kushner holds rare meeting with Hamas leader in Egypt ahead of Netanyahu talks on Gaza

CAIRO, Aug 17: US President Donald Trump’s envoy and son-in-law Jared Kushner held a rare meeting with Hamas political chief Khalil al-Hayya in Egypt as part of renewed US efforts to revive a stalled Gaza ceasefire roadmap and advance negotiations on the next phase of the proposed agreement.

The Guardian, citing regional and Hamas officials, reported that the meeting lasted more than two hours and was attended by Kushner, other US envoys and representatives from Egypt, Qatar and Türkiye, which have been involved in mediation efforts.

Reuters separately reported that Kushner and US Board of Peace envoy Nickolay Mladenov held discussions with Egyptian, Qatari and Turkish mediators as part of efforts to advance Trump’s Gaza peace plan, with Hamas officials also taking part in some of the meetings.

The talks focused on a US-backed 15-point roadmap that envisages the gradual disarmament of Hamas, an Israeli military withdrawal from Gaza and the reconstruction of the territory under a civilian Palestinian administration.

According to The Guardian, the meeting with al-Hayya was aimed in particular at securing Hamas’s commitment to the disarmament provisions before Kushner’s planned talks with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

Hamas said it remained committed to the proposed roadmap and was awaiting the start of a 14-day negotiation period to establish a timetable for its implementation. A Hamas official, however, said the group wanted Israel to halt attacks on Gaza and withdraw its forces to the so-called “yellow line” before implementation could begin.

The Guardian reported that Israeli forces currently control around 60 percent of the Gaza Strip.

The Associated Press reported that the discussions were intended to restart progress on the US-backed 15-point plan, which includes the gradual disarmament of Hamas and other armed groups alongside an Israeli withdrawal from Gaza.

Netanyahu has rejected the roadmap in its current form, insisting that Israel will not withdraw from positions in Gaza until Hamas is completely disarmed. The disagreement over the sequencing of disarmament and Israeli withdrawal has stalled other elements of the proposed arrangement, including reconstruction efforts and the deployment of international forces.

Kushner is expected to meet Netanyahu in Jerusalem along with former British Prime Minister Tony Blair and Nickolay Mladenov. Reuters reported that the meeting will focus on the next steps for implementing the Gaza plan.

The diplomatic efforts come amid growing regional pressure on Israel. The Guardian reported that Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Jordan, Pakistan, Indonesia and Gaza ceasefire mediators had jointly condemned Israel’s rejection of the roadmap and said Israel bore responsibility for obstructing efforts to achieve peace in Gaza.

Reuters also reported that the diplomatic push was taking place alongside continued Israeli strikes in Gaza, highlighting the difficulties facing efforts to move the ceasefire process into its next phase.

The latest contacts mark a renewed US diplomatic effort to bridge the differences between Hamas and the Israeli government, particularly over Hamas’s disarmament and the withdrawal of Israeli forces from Gaza.