Kushner meets Netanyahu, Hamas in back-to-back Gaza talks but breakthrough remains elusive

Jared Kushner, Donald Trump's special envoy and son-in-law, held talks with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Monday over the Gaza conflict, but the meetings appeared to fall short of any meaningful breakthrough in the ongoing standoff.

Kushner met with Netanyahu in Jerusalem for four hours that day, according to Reuters, AFP and dpa. The day before, on Sunday, he met directly in Egypt with Khalil al-Hayya, who took over as Hamas chief last month — making it a two-day sweep of contacts with both sides.

Nikolai Mladenov, a senior representative of the Board of Peace — a body launched under Trump's direction to oversee the Gaza peace initiative — also accompanied Kushner on the visit, sources said.

Netanyahu's office and the Board of Peace each described the talks as "in-depth and constructive" and "highly productive," respectively.

The two sides discussed Gaza's demilitarization, reconstruction and public health. Israel said it had agreed to establish two working groups — one to handle disarmament and demilitarization, and another to address public health issues including sanitation and access to clean drinking water.

Yet the gaps on core issues remained wide.

Israel reiterated its position that no redeployment or withdrawal of Israeli forces — nor any reconstruction work — could begin before Hamas completes full disarmament across Gaza.

The surrender and destruction of all weapons held by Hamas, Israel said, must be the first step in Gaza's demilitarization.

Reuters, citing an Israeli official, said Netanyahu made clear during the talks that Israeli forces would not withdraw and would continue military operations in Gaza if necessary.

The same official said Netanyahu and Kushner also agreed that reconstruction of Gaza would not begin before Hamas fully disarms, including surrendering all small arms.

AFP reported that discussions also covered a proposal for US Army Maj. Gen. Jasper Jeffers — commander of the international stabilization force currently being established — to oversee the process of Hamas handing over and destroying its weapons.

Hamas, for its part, insists Israel must halt its attacks first.

The group has said it broadly accepts Trump's Gaza roadmap but argues that Israel must fulfill its commitments before implementation can begin.

In Monday's meeting with Kushner, Hamas again expressed its willingness to implement the agreement, but demanded that Israel cease attacks on Gaza and withdraw beyond the so-called "yellow line" — a boundary dividing the territory — before disarmament or any other roadmap steps begin, sources said.

Trump's 15-point plan, unveiled last month, calls for Israel and armed groups including Hamas to halt hostilities, followed by the phased disarmament of Hamas and a phased withdrawal of Israeli forces, after which a transitional Palestinian administration backed by an international stabilization force would take over governance and security in Gaza.

The plan is locked in a standoff, however, over the sequencing question: which comes first — Hamas disarmament or an Israeli withdrawal.

In an interview with Fox News after the talks, Kushner said he expected to see progress. "Hopefully at least 30 days from now some weapons removal will start, and 60 to 90 days from now some of the tunnels will start to be filled in," he said.

Israel, however, insists it must retain "freedom of action" to conduct operations in Gaza for security reasons even after Hamas disarms. Israel has also indicated its forces may not withdraw from the yellow line established during last year's truce.

On this, Kushner said the United States would not restrict Israel's right to self-defense when there is an imminent threat, but added that the specific meaning of that position still needed to be clarified.

On reconstruction, Kushner said Gaza would not be allowed to rebuild until demilitarization is complete. "Nobody wants to put more money into a place where terrorists could take over again or blow it up again," he said.

Before the talks, Kushner had reportedly pressed Hamas in Egypt to accept verification of weapons handover and to commit to having no role in governing Gaza in the future.

Netanyahu's upcoming general election on Oct. 27 is also seen as a factor clouding the outlook for negotiations.

Diplomatic observers say it is unlikely that Netanyahu, facing reelection, would make significant concessions on Gaza before the vote.

Meanwhile, eight Arab and Muslim nations — including Saudi Arabia, Egypt and the UAE — issued a joint statement on Monday criticizing Israel for rejecting the Gaza roadmap.