Kushner-Hamas Meeting: Disarmament Talks in Egypt

Jared Kushner, special envoy to U.S. President Donald Trump, held an unusual meeting Sunday in Egypt with senior Hamas officials, according to a report by Barak Ravid on Israel's Channel 12 News, citing sources involved in the process.

During the session, Kushner applied significant pressure on the terror group's representatives, demanding they begin immediately implementing their commitment to disarm under the ceasefire agreement reached last October.

Kushner was joined by other senior international figures, including Nikolai Mladenov, director-general of the Peace Council, and former British Prime Minister Tony Blair. The three are working together as part of the American effort to advance a new political and security arrangement in the region, forming part of President Trump's broader Middle East peace initiative.

The meeting represents a highly unusual development—the first direct encounter between Kushner and Hamas leadership since the ceasefire agreement that ended the Gaza war was signed last October.

The move comes amid intensive efforts by the White House and Trump's Peace Council to push both Hamas and Israel toward the next critical phase of the American peace plan. Trump unveiled the plan last month, a detailed 20-point framework for reshaping Gaza's future.

According to the proposal, Hamas has agreed to complete disarmament and to transfer all civil and security authority in Gaza to a new technocratic Palestinian government. The plan also includes provisions for possible Israeli withdrawal from parts of the territory, presenting complex challenges for Jerusalem's political leadership.

Israel's political establishment and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's government have expressed considerable skepticism about both the feasibility of the U.S. plan and Hamas' willingness to fulfill its commitments. Netanyahu, facing heavy political pressure from both coalition partners and political opponents, has publicly voiced reservations about details of the disengagement framework. This comes despite earlier phone conversations with Kushner in which the prime minister reportedly promised to give the initiative a chance and even committed to restraining military operations in Gaza to allow the process to be tested.

The issue carries particular sensitivity given Israel's approaching elections, where Netanyahu is trailing in polls and his relationship with Trump has entered a complicated phase.

Kushner, Mladenov, and Blair are expected to arrive in Israel for meetings with Prime Minister Netanyahu. Washington officials emphasize that the goal is to reach full understanding and coordination with Israel regarding implementation of the coming phases in the months ahead.

Senior American sources indicated that the U.S. is not rushing the process and considers it important to ensure each step is executed carefully and precisely, expressing confidence that the current plan is superior to any alternative currently available on the ground.

Kushner recently published a detailed statement on the Abraham Accords in which he hinted at the possibility of another political breakthrough in the region.