A senior official from the Board of Peace for Gaza described a meeting on Monday between Jared Kushner, the envoy and son-in-law of former US President Donald Trump, and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu as “lengthy, detailed, and highly productive.” The two reached a consensus on a forward-looking approach to the Gaza conflict.
Earlier discussions had shown little progress, as both Israel and Hamas remained entrenched in their positions during Kushner’s two-day engagement with both parties. Kushner met Netanyahu in Israel after holding talks with Hamas’ political leader in Egypt, aiming to revive a stalled peace plan amid ongoing Israeli airstrikes and territorial advances in Gaza despite an October ceasefire. Hamas, meanwhile, has refused to relinquish its weapons.
Last month, Trump announced that Hamas had agreed to a phased disarmament under a 15-point roadmap proposed by the Board of Peace to support the president’s peace initiative, which also called for Israel’s military withdrawal from Gaza. Hamas accepted the roadmap but conditioned its implementation on Israel fulfilling its commitments, including halting military operations and withdrawing forces.
In a significant development, Netanyahu, facing declining support ahead of the October national election, rejected the roadmap earlier this month, asserting that Israel would not retreat until Hamas was fully disarmed. An Israeli official confirmed there was no breakthrough in the meeting, emphasizing Netanyahu’s stance that the military would maintain positions beyond the October ceasefire line and continue operations targeting those involved in the October 7, 2023 attack on Israel that ignited the conflict.
Hamas has insisted Israel honor the ceasefire, while both sides dispute the sequence of implementing Trump’s peace plan. Since October, over 1,200 Palestinians and four Israeli soldiers have died in Gaza, local health authorities and the Israeli military.
No immediate statements were released by the Board of Peace. However, the meeting between Kushner and Netanyahu reportedly lasted several hours, with Nikolay Mladenov, the Board of Peace envoy for Gaza, also present and playing a key role in advancing the plan.
The Israeli official noted that Netanyahu and Kushner agreed reconstruction efforts in Gaza would only commence after Hamas was completely disarmed, including the surrender of light weapons. The Prime Minister’s office described the talks as “deep and constructive,” affirming that both Israel and the Board of Peace believe Gaza’s disarmament must be swift and fully completed before any rebuilding begins.
Furthermore, Netanyahu consented to forming two working groups: one on disarmament and demilitarization, and another focusing on sanitation, clean water, and public health issues in Gaza.
US and Israeli officials have indicated that reconstruction could proceed in Gaza areas under Israeli control or through a new Palestinian technocratic government. The Board of Peace has suggested that while rifles would be banned, some personal weapons might be allowed under Palestinian law.
Netanyahu’s challenging re-election campaign makes it unlikely he will offer concessions on Gaza before the October 27 vote. Kushner and Mladenov’s visit to Israel followed Kushner’s meeting with Hamas political leader Khalil Al-Hayya in Egypt on Sunday, marking Kushner’s second known engagement with Hamas representatives.
Previously, Kushner met Hamas officials alongside US envoy Steve Witkoff in October 2025, facilitating a ceasefire deal in Gaza and securing the release of hostages held by Hamas.
