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

President Donald Trump’s son-in-law and envoy, Jared Kushner, met with Hamas’s new leader in Egypt on August 17 in a bid to revive a Gaza peace plan rejected by Israel. The meeting took place in El-Alamein, a Mediterranean city in Egypt, where Khalil al-Hayya, the new Hamas leader, made his first trip since taking charge in July.

Kushner pressed for "concrete, verifiable steps" towards disarmament, a critical demand from Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. He also conveyed a message that "Gaza can never again be a source of terror for Israel". Hamas chief al-Hayya reiterated his commitment to the plan during the talks.

Hamas signaled its support for the Trump-disarmament plan, calling on mediators and Trump’s Board of Peace to compel Israel to approve the roadmap and begin implementing it. Key mediators in the talks included representatives from Qatar and Turkey, in addition to Egypt.

The United States, which had historically avoided contact with Hamas classified as a terrorist organization, has recently become more open to direct engagement in an effort to end the ongoing conflict. In a recent development, Netanyahu, who faces a tough re-election race in October, expressed opposition to the US plan even after assurances from Nickolay Mladenov, the high representative for Gaza on the Board of Peace.

Meanwhile, Israel has resumed airstrikes in Gaza despite the ceasefire, following a lull that had followed Trump’s push for peace. The Israeli military claimed it was responding to a threat from Islamic Jihad militants, while also attempting to minimize civilian casualties. However, the conflict has continued to cause significant casualties on both sides.