Kushner meets Egypt’s Al-Sisi amid tensions over Gaza plan

US negotiator Jared Kushner met with Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi and other officials in El-Alamein to discuss the future of the Gaza Strip, according to the Egyptian presidency. This diplomatic push follows Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's statement that Israel had rejected the US-backed roadmap for Gaza, drawn up by Trump's Board of Peace.

Netanyahu reiterated his stance that Israel would not withdraw its army until Hamas was disarmed and expressed opposition to an independent Palestinian state. Meanwhile, senior Hamas official Bassem Naim affirmed the group's commitment to the roadmap, which outlines a cease-fire between Israel and Hamas, the establishment of a transitional Palestinian administration, and a gradual Israeli withdrawal contingent on Hamas disarming and providing weapons verification.

The UAE, Qatar, Jordan, Indonesia, Pakistan, Turkey, Saudi Arabia, and Egypt criticized Israel's rejection of the roadmap and its stance against a two-state solution in a joint statement. They emphasized the importance of ongoing US engagement to ensure Israel adheres to the plan's terms.