Kushner Presses Hamas for Disarmament in Egypt Talks

Jared Kushner sat down with Hamas leaders this weekend in Egypt. The goal was clear: push for Donald Trump's latest Gaza plan even though Israel has already rejected it. Sources close to the talks told AFP that Kushner wants strong disarmament and a total end to any future role for Hamas running the enclave. He is asking for concrete steps, not just words.

Khalil al-Hayya represented Hamas at the meeting. He sat across from Egyptian intelligence chief Hassan Rashad, Qatari diplomat Ali Al Thawadi, and a senior Turkish official. Nickolay Mladenov, the high representative for Trump's Board of Peace, was there too. Tony Blair, former British Prime Minister, joined as well. Axios reported that Kushner, Mladenov, and Blair were all part of this diplomatic push.

Hamas said they remain committed to the deal. But the US envoy is pressing hard on specific demands. A source told Axios that the objective was translating disarmament into verifiable actions. The United States has spent years refusing to talk directly with Hamas, which Washington still labels a terrorist organization. Now, however, the Trump administration seems more comfortable making direct contact in hopes of ending the war.

Earlier this week, al-Hayya met with Rashad separately. Kushner also had a meeting with Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi, according to an office statement. A senior Israeli official said Kushner and Mladenov are scheduled to meet with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Monday. Netanyahu last week called the plan unacceptable.

The Trump peace roadmap calls for military operations in Gaza to stop immediately. It envisions Hamas laying down arms as Israeli troops pull out of the enclave. Under this vision, a new civilian Palestinian administration would rebuild the region. The US envoy insists Israel must first meet its own commitments before implementation can begin.

Trouble remains on the ground. Strikes continue despite an October 2025 ceasefire agreement. Israel recently scaled back attacks earlier in the month but resumed air strikes over the past few days. At least five Palestinians were injured Sunday after a strike hit a tent encampment in Khan Younis, medics reported. Another separate airstrike hit an apartment in the Nuseirat refugee camp, wounding several more people.

Israeli officials are worried about Washington's demand to stop targeted assassinations of Hamas fighters inside Gaza. The death toll is heavy and rising. Palestinian official sources say more than 1,250 Palestinians have died since the ceasefire took effect this month. The overall number of deaths since October 2023 now exceeds 73,300.

Hamas stated it agreed to the plan to prevent a fresh wave of war. Yet they added that the deal depends on Israel withdrawing its forces and halting attacks first. Kushner plans to visit Israel after this meeting in Egypt. The tension is high as both sides try to narrow differences over a roadmap that neither side fully trusts yet.