Hamas says it is committed to Gaza deal after Kushner’s Israel visit

Hamas declared on Tuesday its continued commitment to the US-backed Gaza peace deal following a meeting between its representative and White House envoy Jared Kushner in Egypt.

Kushner, president Donald Trump's son-in-law, held discussions with Hamas in Egypt on Sunday, followed by a meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in Jerusalem the next day. The Israeli leader has previously rejected the latest phase of the deal.

In a Fox News interview, Kushner stated that Hamas' disarmament could commence in approximately 30 days, contingent upon Israeli approval of the roadmap. He also noted that reconstruction of Gaza would not begin until this disarming takes place.

The US has assured that it will not impede Israel's right to self-defense in the event of any imminent threats in Gaza. The Israeli Prime Minister has demanded the complete disarmament of Hamas, while the US-backed deal requires Israel to commence withdrawal from Gaza only after Hamas' disarming is complete, contradicting an earlier call for a phased pullout.

Despite the peace efforts, Israel has continued airstrikes in Gaza. Two days prior to Tuesday's meeting, Israel carried out an airstrike that reportedly killed a commander of the Islamic Jihad group, who was responsible for the abduction of an Israeli citizen during the October 7, 2023 attack that sparked the ongoing conflict. Since the ceasefire was implemented on October 10, Israeli military operations have resulted in the deaths of at least 1,265 Palestinians, according to data from Gaza's health ministry under Hamas authority, which is regarded as credible by the UN.

Israeli forces have reported five fatalities among their own personnel in Gaza operations over the same timeframe.