Kushner sits with Netanyahu to talk Gaza after 2-hour meeting with Hamas

Mideast negotiator Jared Kushner met with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Monday, following Netanyahu's rejection of the U.S.-backed 15-point road map aimed at advancing the truce deal in Gaza. The road map focuses on aspects such as disarmament, reconstruction of Gaza, and future control over the territory. A significant number of Palestinians, amounting to 2 million, reside within Gaza, highlighting the urgency of the situation.

Hamas has expressed its agreement to the road map, which includes disarmament, and has urged mediators and the U.S.-created Board of Peace to compel Israel to sign on as well. However, Israel maintains that Hamas must fully disarm before any withdrawal from Gaza can occur. Presently, Israeli troops occupy approximately 60% of the strip, and Netanyahu has previously indicated a willingness to advance further.

The meeting between Kushner and Netanyahu took place after Kushner spent over two hours with Hamas chief Khalil al-Hayya in Egypt on Sunday, discussing disarmament. The meeting was attended by officials from Egypt, Qatar, and Turkey, as well as officials from the Board of Peace. During the conversation with al-Hayya, Hamas demanded that Israel halt its attacks on Gaza and withdraw to the "yellow line," dividing the territory, before implementing the road map.

The exact boundaries of the yellow line remain undefined; Israeli forces have moved beyond it, currently controlling around 60% of Gaza. Earlier in May, Netanyahu had hinted at a plan to gradually increase Israel's control over Gaza, targeting a 70% control and "tightening the grip" on Hamas from every direction.