Mideast negotiator and Trump son-in-law Jared Kushner met with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Monday after the premier rejected the 15-point, U.S.-supported road map intended to advance the truce deal in Gaza.
The United States is currently pushing for Israel's endorsement of this roadmap during the latest round of discussions. Significant elements are at stake, including the lives of approximately 2 million Palestinians in Gaza, the reconstruction of the demolished enclave, and future control over the territory.
Hamas has stated it agrees to the road map, which includes disarmament, and the group is urging mediators and the U.S.-established Board of Peace to "compel" Israel to sign as well. However, Israel, which must withdraw from Gaza under the roadmap, insists that Hamas must fully disarm before any Israeli withdrawal can take place.
Israeli troops currently occupy about 60% of the strip, and Netanyahu has previously indicated intentions to advance.
According to a source familiar with the plans and a diplomatic source, former British Prime Minister Tony Blair and Board of Peace Director Nickolay Mladenov were also present at the meeting with Netanyahu. Both individuals spoke on condition of anonymity regarding the closed-door discussion.
Meeting Follows Kushner Conversation with Hamas
This meeting followed over two hours of discussions between Kushner and Hamas chief Khalil al-Hayya in Egypt on Sunday concerning disarmament, according to both a regional official and a Hamas official who requested anonymity as they were not authorized to speak to reporters.
Officials from mediating nations—Egypt, Qatar, and Turkey—were also in attendance.
The Hamas official added that the Hamas leader demanded Israel cease its attacks on Gaza and withdraw to the so-called "yellow line" dividing the territory before any implementation could begin.
This yellow line has never been precisely defined. Israeli forces have moved beyond it and now control about 60% of Gaza. In May, Netanyahu stated that the next objective was achieving 70% control, with Israel "tightening the grip" on Hamas "from every direction."
Regional Neighbors Increase Pressure on Israel
Several regional powers, including Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, issued a Sunday statement condemning Israel's rejection of the road map. They asserted that "Israel now bears responsibility for obstructing the efforts to bring peace in Gaza." Other signatories included Jordan, Pakistan, Indonesia, and the ceasefire mediators.
The foreign ministers’ joint statement called upon the Board of Peace and the U.S. to implement "immediate and concrete measures" to prevent any party from hindering the plan's execution.
Israel provided no immediate response.
The White House directed questions regarding Kushner’s meetings to the Board of Peace, which did not issue an immediate comment. The Tony Blair Institute also declined to comment.
Under the roadmap, Hamas would transfer its weapons to a Palestinian technocratic committee designated to oversee daily operations in the territory; this committee has not yet entered Gaza.
However, Hamas has tied the surrender of its heaviest weaponry to the establishment of a Palestinian state, and the roadmap includes creating a "credible pathway toward achieving Palestinian self-determination and statehood," which Israel's current government rejects.
Until the road map is agreed upon, other ceasefire components remain on hold, including reconstruction efforts and the deployment of international forces to separate Israeli forces from committee-controlled areas.
Netanyahu faces a challenging election on October 27 while attempting to retain power with a coalition that includes ministers adopting a hardline stance on Gaza; it remains unclear if he will take decisive action on the ceasefire before then.
The anniversary of the October 7, 2023, Hamas-led attack on southern Israel, which triggered the war, is also approaching.