DistantNews
Support us
🇴🇲 Oman /Elections & Politics

Israel acting “a little irrationally” on Gaza because of election, Kushner says in Kyiv

From Times of Oman · () English

Translated from English and summarized by DistantNews. Read the original for the full story.

At a glance

News Named sources Ongoing story
  • U.S. envoy Jared Kushner said Israel’s October 27 Knesset election was complicating its approach to Gaza and contributing to what he called “a little irrational” conduct.
  • Washington and Israel broadly agree on the desired outcome, but Israel opposes a proposal to decommission Hamas weapons as part of a plan involving an Israeli withdrawal from Gaza.
  • Kushner made the remarks in Kyiv during a diplomatic visit focused mainly on efforts to end the Russia-Ukraine war.

Israel’s coming election is making its approach to Gaza “a little irrational,” U.S. special envoy Jared Kushner said in Kyiv, as Washington tries to revive a plan to disarm Hamas and other armed groups in the enclave.

Kushner spoke at a press conference alongside fellow U.S. envoy Steve Witkoff and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. He said Washington and Israel broadly agreed on the desired end state, but domestic politics were complicating the issue ahead of Israel’s October 27 Knesset election.

“We’re working through some political issues in Israel. I think we agree with them on the end state. They just have a crazy election, and that makes them a little irrational in certain regards,” Kushner said.

We’re working through some political issues in Israel. I think we agree with them on the end state. They just have a crazy election, and that makes them a little irrational in certain regards.

· Jared KushnerKushner linked Israel’s approach to Gaza to political pressures ahead of the Knesset election.

His comments came as Israel opposed the Board of Peace’s proposal to decommission weapons held by Hamas and other armed groups in Gaza. The broader plan would also involve an Israeli withdrawal from the territory. U.S. efforts to advance the proposal have stalled in part because of Israel’s opposition.

Kushner, who has taken part in U.S. diplomatic efforts on Gaza, gave a bleak description of conditions in the enclave. “Gaza has not worked for a very, very long time. It was basically built by NGOs and terrorists, and it’s been a dystopian place for a long time,” he said.

The remarks followed continued Israeli strikes on Gaza and disagreements over post-war arrangements, especially the fate of Hamas’s weapons and the scale of any Israeli military withdrawal. Kushner and Witkoff were visiting Kyiv after talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow as part of Washington’s effort to advance a proposal for ending the Russia-Ukraine war. Zelenskyy said the territorial issue remained relevant, while Witkoff said Washington was seeking a diplomatic rather than military resolution.

Gaza has not worked for a very, very long time. It was basically built by NGOs and terrorists, and it’s been a dystopian place for a long time.

· Jared KushnerKushner offered a bleak assessment of conditions in Gaza.
About this summary

Originally published by Times of Oman in English. Translated, summarized, and contextualized automatically by DistantNews, with a note on how the source frames the story. Not individually reviewed before publishing. How this works.

More Stories

From Our Blog