Jared Kushner, U.S. envoy and son-in-law to former President Donald Trump, met with the new leader of Hamas in Egypt on Sunday to advance a Gaza peace plan that Israel has thus far rejected.
Sources close to the discussions, speaking anonymously due to the sensitivity of the matter, reported that Kushner urged Hamas to take "concrete, verifiable steps" toward disarmament, a primary condition set by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Kushner conveyed a message that "Gaza can never again be a source of terror for Israel."
Khalil al-Hayya, who assumed leadership of Hamas in July, participated in the Cairo meeting. He had previously expressed his group's endorsement of the Trump administration's Gaza roadmap, a move some analysts interpreted as tactical, anticipating Israeli opposition. During Sunday's talks, Hamas reiterated its commitment to the plan and called upon mediators and Trump's "Board of Peace" to pressure Israel into approving the roadmap and establishing an implementation timeline.
The meeting included members of the Board of Peace, such as former British Prime Minister Tony Blair, along with representatives from Qatar, Turkey, and Egypt. The United States, historically hesitant to engage directly with Hamas, designated as a terrorist organization, has recently adopted a more direct approach in pursuit of ending the Gaza conflict and securing hostage releases.
Concurrently, regional mediators and five Muslim nations—Jordan, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Pakistan, and Indonesia—jointly condemned Israel's rejection of the plan, stating that Israel bears "direct and full responsibility" for obstructing peace efforts. This condemnation came despite assurances to Netanyahu that Israeli troops would not need to withdraw from Gaza until Hamas's complete disarmament.
Meanwhile, Israeli airstrikes have continued in Gaza. On Sunday, the civil defense agency reported casualties from an Israeli aircraft targeting a house near Nuseirat, which the Israeli military stated was a response to threats from Islamic Jihad militants. Separately, several individuals were injured west of Khan Yunis after Israeli forces opened fire on tents housing displaced persons, and the body of a child killed by Israeli fire was recovered. According to Gaza's health ministry, at least 1,262 Palestinians have been killed since the October 10 ceasefire, while the Israeli army reported five fatalities in its ranks during the same period.
