JERUSALEM – Jared Kushner, the Mideast negotiator and son-in-law of Donald Trump, met Monday with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, as Washington pressed for progress on a U.S.-backed Gaza truce road map that Netanyahu has rejected.
The latest diplomatic push is aimed at securing Israel’s approval for the 15-point plan, a proposal carrying enormous consequences for Gaza’s future. At stake are the lives of roughly 2 million Palestinians, the rebuilding of a devastated enclave and the question of who will ultimately govern the territory.
Hamas says it has accepted the road map, which includes provisions for the group’s disarmament, and has called on mediators and the U.S.-created Board of Peace to “compel” Israel to agree as well. Israel, however, has said Hamas must fully disarm before any Israeli withdrawal from Gaza takes place, even though the plan requires Israel to pull back from the territory.
Israeli forces currently control about 60% of the Gaza Strip, and Netanyahu has previously warned that the military could advance further.
Former British Prime Minister Tony Blair and Board of Peace Director Nickolay Mladenov also attended the meeting with Netanyahu, according to a person familiar with the plans and a diplomatic source. Both spoke on condition of anonymity because the discussions were held behind closed doors.
Meeting follows Kushner talks with Hamas
Kushner’s meeting with Netanyahu followed more than two hours of talks Sunday in Egypt with Hamas chief Khalil al-Hayya focused on disarmament, a regional official and a Hamas official said. Both officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to brief reporters.
Representatives from the mediating countries — Egypt, Qatar and Turkey — also took part in the discussions.
The Hamas official also said the Hamas leader demanded Israel halt its attacks on Gaza and withdraw to the so-called “yellow line” dividing the territory before beginning implementation.
The yellow line was never precisely defined. Israeli forces have moved beyond it and now control about 60% of Gaza. In May, Netanyahu said the next step was to move to 70% control, with Israel “tightening the grip” on Hamas “from every direction.”
Regional neighbors increase pressure on Israel
Several regional powers including Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates issued a statement Sunday condemning Israel’s rejection of the road map, saying, “Israel now bears responsibility for obstructing the efforts to bring peace in Gaza.” Other signers included Jordan, Pakistan, Indonesia and the ceasefire mediators.
The foreign ministers’ statement called on the Board of Peace and the U.S. to take “immediate and concrete measures” to keep any party from obstructing the plan’s implementation.
Israel had no immediate response.
The White House referred questions about Kushner’s meetings to the Board of Peace, which did not immediately comment. The Tony Blair Institute also did not comment.
Under the road map, Hamas would hand over weapons to the Palestinian technocratic committee meant to oversee daily operations in the territory. The committee has not yet entered Gaza.
But Hamas has linked the surrender of its heaviest weapons to the creation of a Palestinian state and the road map entails the creation of a “credible pathway toward achieving Palestinian self-determination and statehood,” something Israel’s current government rejects.
Until the road map is agreed to, other elements of the ceasefire are on hold, including reconstruction and the deployment of international forces to separate Israeli forces from committee-controlled areas.
Netanyahu faces a challenging election on Oct. 27 as he tries to hold onto power with a coalition that includes ministers taking a harsh line on Gaza and it’s not clear whether he will take decisive steps on the ceasefire before then.
Also coming up is the anniversary of the Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas-led attack on southern Israel that sparked the war.
___
Frankel reported from Jerusalem and Magdy from Cairo. Collin Binkley in Washington and Sylvia Hui in London contributed to this report.
