Jared Kushner Meets Benjamin Netanyahu in Jerusalem to Advance Gaza Peace Proposal

US President Donald Trump 's son-in-law Jared Kushner met Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in Jerusalem on Monday, according to Israeli media reports. The meeting followed talks with Hamas leaders and mediators in Egypt, marking an effort to advance a new proposal from the US-led Board of Peace for Gaza.

Mr Kushner traveled alongside the board's envoy, Nickolay Mladenov, and former British prime minister Tony Blair, who serves as a board member after initially being poised to lead it. Mr Netanyahu faces a re-election campaign in October centered on national security, viewing Israel's military occupation of Gaza as vital to those efforts. He has rejected the US-backed plan announced on July 30, which calls for Israeli forces to withdraw from the Palestinian territory alongside Hamas's disarmament, despite Hamas agreeing to the terms.

The agreement demands that Hamas surrender heavy weapons, military manufacturing sites, bases, rocket launchers, and underground tunnel maps to three mediator representatives. These assets would then transfer to a UN -backed committee composed of independent Palestinian technocrats. During a Monday interview with Fox News, Mr Trump indicated progress regarding Hamas disarmament, stating that they are relinquishing their weapons.

Mr Kushner is anticipated to relay to Mr Netanyahu that the group is prepared to follow the disarmament plan provided Israel adheres to the agreement. Sources informed The National that his discussions with Hamas took place in the Egyptian coastal city of Al Alamein alongside mediators from Egypt, Qatar and Turkey, including Egypt's intelligence service head Hassan Rashad. Mr Mladenov, who previously met Mr Netanyahu in Jerusalem a week prior, encouraged Israel to accept the disarmament terms to prevent a repeat of the October 7, 2023 attacks.

Hamas disarmament forms a central component of Mr Trump's 20-point plan aimed at concluding the war in Gaza, which commenced following a ceasefire last October. Nevertheless, initial conditions such as unrestricted aid delivery, debris removal, and reconstruction in the strip have seen minimal advancement. Additionally, the UAE , Qatar, Jordan, Indonesia, Pakistan, Turkey, Saudi Arabia and Egypt released a joint statement on Sunday condemning Israel's opposition to Palestinian statehood and its hindrance of peace initiatives in Gaza and the occupied West Bank , where violent incidents involving settlers against Palestinians have increased.