Jared Kushner, acting as US President Donald Trump's Middle East envoy, has conducted highly unusual direct discussions with Hamas leadership in Egypt to advance a US-supported peace plan for the Gaza Strip.
The meeting, which took place on Sunday, involved Kushner and a delegation headed by Khalil al-Hayya, the newly appointed leader of Hamas, according to a Palestinian official. This encounter represents the first high-level contact of its kind since a ceasefire agreement was established last year. The talks in Egypt reportedly focused on practical steps toward decommissioning Hamas's weapons, coordinating the withdrawal of Israeli forces, and organizing humanitarian relief operations.
Kushner was joined by other prominent members of Trump's Board of Peace, including former British Prime Minister Tony Blair and diplomat Nickolay Mladenov. Representatives from key mediating nations—Egypt, Qatar, and Turkey—were also in attendance. While in Egypt, Kushner held a separate meeting with Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi. According to Israeli media, Kushner, Blair, and Mladenov are scheduled to travel to meet Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Monday in an effort to salvage the diplomatic initiative.
The diplomatic push comes immediately after Israel formally rejected the Board of Peace's 15-point draft proposal last week. Prime Minister Netanyahu stated, "Israel rejects the Board of Peace's 15-point document on Gaza. The IDF will not carry out any withdrawal until Hamas is genuinely disarmed." The plan calls for the complete disarmament of Hamas and other armed factions, the full withdrawal of Israeli troops, and the reconstruction of Gaza under a newly established civilian Palestinian administration.
Israel's rejection of the plan drew sharp international criticism. On Sunday, a coalition of eight Muslim nations—Egypt, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Turkey, Pakistan, and Indonesia—released a joint statement warning that Israel's stance directly undermines Trump's peace initiatives. Originally formed to address the Gaza conflict, the Trump-led Board of Peace has since expanded its mandate to mediate global conflicts.
Despite the political deadlock, the ceasefire that commenced on October 10 of last year remains active. The wider war was ignited by the Hamas-led assault on southern Israel on October 7, 2023, which resulted in approximately 1,200 deaths and the abduction of 251 hostages. Israel's subsequent military offensive has claimed more than 73,000 lives in Gaza, according to figures from the local health ministry that are deemed reliable by the United Nations. The UN also estimates that roughly 1.9 million people, representing 90 percent of Gaza's population, have been displaced since the outbreak of hostilities.
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