Trump's envoy Kushner meets with Hamas leader in push to revive Gaza peace plan

President Donald Trump's son-in-law, Jared Kushner, met with Hamas leader Khalil al-Hayya in El-Alamein, Egypt, on Sunday to discuss reviving a Gaza peace plan rejected by Israel. The talks followed Kushner's previous meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who has insisted that any settlement must ensure Hamas is fully disarmed and does not play a role in governing the Palestinian territory.

The Palestinian Islamist group had endorsed the latest stage of Trump's Gaza plan two weeks ago, but Netanyahu has refused to support it. A diplomatic official confirmed the Jerusalem meeting had begun, with Kushner demanding verification of Hamas's disarmament and renunciation of future governance roles. Netanyahu was expected to meet Kushner privately, along with high representative Nickolay Mladenov, who is part of Trump's Board of Peace.

Former UK Prime Minister Tony Blair, a senior Board of Peace official, was also reportedly attending. Hamas pledged commitment to the peace plan and called for pressure on Netanyahu to implement the agreement. The Trump administration has been more open to engaging directly with Hamas in hopes of ending the conflict, having negotiated a ceasefire that led to the release of remaining Israeli hostages.

Netanyahu, facing tight elections, has grown increasingly opposed to Trump's support for the peace plan, including defying the administration's decision to halt the US-Israeli war on Iran.