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Kushner: US will back Israeli resumption of war if Hamas fails to honor disarmament commitments

From Jerusalem Post · () English

Summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

News Named sources New plan
  • U.S. special envoy Jared Kushner stated that Hamas must disarm or face Israeli military action with U.S. backing.
  • Kushner met with Hamas and Palestinian officials in Cairo, and Israeli leaders in Jerusalem.
  • The U.S. will not permit Gaza's reconstruction until demilitarization occurs and reserves Israel's right to self-defense.

U.S. special envoy Jared Kushner warned Hamas that it must honor its disarmament commitments or face an Israeli military operation to "finish the job," with the backing of the United States. Kushner's remarks followed meetings in Cairo with Hamas and the National Committee for the Administration of Gaza (NCAG), and subsequent discussions in Jerusalem with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and President Isaac Herzog.

If they [Hamas] don't follow through now on their commitment, everyone will see that they're not genuine about peace, and then Israel will have a lot more support from the U.S. and others to go and finish the job in the appropriate way.

— Jared KushnerKushner outlining the consequences if Hamas fails to disarm.

Kushner indicated that if Hamas fails to comply, "everyone will see that they're not genuine about peace, and then Israel will have a lot more support from the U.S. and others to go and finish the job in the appropriate way." He noted that Hamas affirmed its commitment to a 20-point peace plan and a 15-point roadmap focused on relinquishing weapons, but expressed skepticism about trusting a terror organization that has committed "terrible atrocities."

They said all the right things, but obviously, it's very, very hard to trust, you know, a terrorist organization that committed these terrible atrocities.

— Jared KushnerKushner's assessment of Hamas's sincerity following meetings.

Describing the meetings, Kushner stated that while Hamas "said all the right things," it remains "very, very hard to trust" them. He added that progress on demilitarization, including the removal of weapons and the filling of tunnels, could be seen within 30 to 90 days. Kushner framed this as a "win-win situation" for Israel, potentially eliminating a significant security threat.

We could be seeing progress, you know, in as much as in as little as 30 days.

— Jared KushnerKushner discussing the potential timeline for demilitarization progress.

The Trump administration, Kushner emphasized, will "not allow Gaza to be rebuilt until demilitarization occurs." Furthermore, the U.S. will not restrict Israel's right to defend itself against imminent threats. Kushner acknowledged that Israel has endured "three years of war" and expressed a desire for peace, noting the significant emotional toll on the country.

We're also not going to restrict Israel's right to defend itself if there are any imminent threats.

— Jared KushnerKushner affirming Israel's right to self-defense.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by Jerusalem Post. Summarized and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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