Kushner meets Hamas leaders in Egypt to advance Gaza ceasefire plan

Jared Kushner, a close advisor to former U.S. President Donald Trump, met with senior Hamas officials in Egypt on Sunday in a renewed U.S. effort to break the stalemate on a Gaza ceasefire plan. The U.S. proposal focuses on the disarmament of Hamas and the gradual withdrawal of Israeli forces.

The meeting with Khalil al-Hayya, a prominent Hamas political leader, lasted between 90 minutes and over two hours, according to sources familiar with the talks. Officials from mediating countries Egypt, Qatar, and Turkey also participated. Participants spoke on condition of anonymity due to the confidential nature of the negotiations. A U.S. official confirmed Kushner's presence in Egypt for Gaza discussions, but the White House referred inquiries to the Trump-established Peace Council, which declined to comment.

The meeting took place at a critical juncture, following Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's rejection last week of a new 15-point roadmap backed by Washington. The core disagreement centers on the sequence of Hamas's disarmament and the withdrawal of Israeli troops. U.S. media reports suggest Kushner sought a concrete commitment from Hamas on disarmament before meeting Netanyahu on Monday.

Hamas has indicated readiness to move toward demilitarization and transfer civilian control of Gaza to a Palestinian government. However, the group insists Israel must cease its attacks and withdraw its forces to the "yellow line." Hamas also urged mediators and the Peace Council to pressure Israel to fulfill commitments from the first phase of the ceasefire and approve the second stage roadmap. The group affirmed its commitment to the peace framework in a statement, accusing Israel of continuing military operations and worsening the humanitarian crisis in Gaza despite the truce.

The Trump plan envisions Hamas progressively surrendering its weapons to a Palestinian technocratic committee managing the territory, while Israel halts attacks and begins a gradual troop withdrawal. Netanyahu, however, maintains Israel will not vacate any positions in Gaza until Hamas is fully disarmed. This deadlock impedes other aspects of the agreement, including the enclave's reconstruction and the deployment of an international force to separate Israeli troops from areas administered by the Palestinian committee. Hamas has conditioned its cooperation on Israel meeting its demands.