US envoy Kushner talks with Israel, Hamas end without breakthrough on Trump Gaza plan
Netanyahu has rejected a US-backed agreement that would see Hamas surrender its arms in exchange for Israel withdrawing from Gaza
Donald Trump’s envoy and son-in-law Jared Kushner on Monday wrapped up two days of meetings with Israeli and Hamas leaders to break a stalemate over the US president’s Gaza plan, but no breakthrough appeared imminent as both sides dug in.
Kushner met Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in Israel, a day after meeting Hamas’ political leader in Egypt to revive the plan, which has stalled as Israel has carried out air strikes and grabbed more territory in Gaza despite an October ceasefire, while Hamas has also refused to give up its weapons.
Trump last month announced that Hamas had agreed to lay down its arms in phases, under a 15-point road map put forward by his so-called Board of Peace to advance the president’s plan, as Israel’s military withdraws from Gaza. Hamas said it agreed to the road map but implementation depends on Israel first meeting its own commitments, including halting attacks and withdrawing.
Netanyahu, whose ruling coalition is trailing in Israeli opinion polls ahead of an October national election, publicly rejected this month a US-backed agreement that would see Hamas surrender its arms in exchange for Israel withdrawing from Gaza.
An Israeli official indicated that there was no breakthrough in the meeting, saying Netanyahu had made it clear the military would not withdraw from a demarcation line set out in an October ceasefire and would continue to carry out operations in Gaza as it sees necessary, including targeting those who took part in the October 7, 2023, attack on Israel that triggered the war.
But Netanyahu, Israel’s longest-serving leader, has said the country’s military will only withdraw once Hamas and other armed groups in Gaza have been completely disarmed.