Jared Kushner Heads to Israel and Egypt Following Benjamin Netanyahu's Rejection of Gaza Peace Plan

Donald Trump's son-in-law and aide, Jared Kushner, is set to travel to Israel and Egypt next week to support a US-backed Board of Peace plan for a permanent end to Israel’s war in Gaza. The visit, confirmed to Al Jazeera by a Board of Peace official, follows Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's rejection of a Trump-backed 15-point plan for lasting peace in the Palestinian enclave.

Netanyahu specifically opposed a provision requiring Hamas to gradually disarm and transfer its weapons to a Palestinian third party while Israel concurrently withdraws its troops from Gaza. Hamas announced it had agreed to a preliminary version of the deal and remains committed despite Israel’s rejection.

A Board of Peace official stated that Kushner will be accompanied by the board’s director general, Nickolay Mladenov, and executive committee member Tony Blair. The trio aims to address raised concerns and discuss next steps. In Cairo, the delegation will meet Egyptian and other mediators to solidify a roadmap.

Under the previous 20-point ceasefire plan, fighting was meant to halt to allow Hamas to decommission weapons and Israel to withdraw, followed by the transfer of power to a technocratic Palestinian government, the deployment of an International Stabilisation Force, and major reconstruction. However, local authorities report near-daily Israeli violations resulting in thousands of deaths.

Meanwhile, Kushner’s visit coincides with a surge in settler violence in the occupied West Bank, including a siege on the village of Qusra. The violence drew a rebuke from US ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee following an attack on the home of a dual US citizen. According to the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, thousands of settler attacks have been documented, resulting in numerous Palestinian casualties.