Kushner plans to visit Israel next week for Gaza talks

Jared Kushner, the President's son-in-law and envoy, plans to journey to Israel next week to discuss matters concerning Gaza, according to five sources familiar with the arrangement. This marks Kushner's inaugural visit to Israel since January. The visit is significant as it occurs as the White House and Trump's Board of Peace strive to advance the subsequent stage of the Gaza plan, which emphasizes disarming Hamas and a potential Israeli redeployment.

The Netanyahu administration harbors considerable skepticism towards the U.S. Gaza plan, and the impending election in October amplifies the political sensitivity surrounding the issue. Speaking to U.S. officials, the objective of the visit is to ensure coordination and align the U.S. plan with Israeli perspectives.

President Trump disclosed two weeks ago that his Board of Peace had reached an accord with Hamas for disarming Hamas and transferring civilian and security control of Gaza to a new Palestinian technocratic government. However, Netanyahu publicly refuted the disarming Hamas proposal under pressure from his coalition partners and political adversaries. Despite his reservations, he pledged to curb attacks on Gaza to facilitate the demilitarization process.

A senior U.S. official interpreted Netanyahu's statement as political maneuvering ahead of the election and not a definitive policy stance. Since then, Israel has reduced strikes on Gaza, and the Israeli military withdrew to the Yellow Line as per the agreement. The U.S. is keen to prevent the Israeli elections from impeding the implementation of the forthcoming phase of the Gaza plan.

Kushner is scheduled to meet with Netanyahu and other senior officials during his visit, along with the possibility of traveling to other Middle Eastern nations to converse with regional leaders engaged in the Gaza matter. The White House wishes to prevent the Israeli elections from hindering the execution of the next phase of the plan, while Netanyahu and the U.S. aim to navigate the political landscape without inflaming tensions or making concessions detrimental to their respective political interests.