Kushner to meet with Netanyahu in Israel, aiming to salvage Gaza deal

Trump envoy seeks to bridge differences between Israel and Hamas after rare talks with the Palestinian group in Egypt

Jared Kushner, US President Donald Trump’s son-in-law and Middle East envoy, is meeting Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in Jerusalem as Washington attempts to rescue a stalled Gaza peace plan. The diplomatic effort comes immediately after Kushner held an unusually direct meeting with Hamas leader Khalil al-Hayya in Egypt, putting the US at the centre of renewed efforts to close the widening gap between the two sides.

The latest initiative focuses on a 15-point US-backed roadmap that seeks to establish a permanent ceasefire, secure Hamas disarmament, achieve an Israeli military withdrawal and create a new framework for governing and rebuilding Gaza. However, fundamental disagreements over the order and guarantees surrounding those steps have prevented the proposal from moving forward.

Kushner's diplomatic mission

Kushner's trip represents a renewed attempt by the Trump administration to personally engage both sides. On Sunday, he spent more than two hours meeting Hamas representatives in Egypt, with Egyptian, Qatari and Turkish mediators also involved in the discussions.

According to reports, the talks focused heavily on Hamas's willingness to disarm and on the practical steps required to implement the proposed Gaza roadmap. Hamas has expressed conditional support for the plan but has linked full implementation to broader political and security arrangements.

Kushner's subsequent meeting with Netanyahu is intended to address the Israeli side of the dispute. Former British Prime Minister Tony Blair and Nickolay Mladenov, director of the US-backed Board of Peace, were also involved in the discussions with Netanyahu.

The central disagreement

At the heart of the negotiations is a major sequencing dispute.

The US-backed proposal envisages Hamas surrendering its weapons while Israeli forces gradually withdraw from Gaza. An International Stabilization Force and a new Palestinian security structure would then contribute to maintaining security.

Netanyahu, however, has publicly rejected the idea of withdrawing Israeli forces before Hamas and other armed groups are completely disarmed. His position is that Israel cannot accept a settlement that leaves Hamas capable of rebuilding its military infrastructure.

That difference has become one of the biggest obstacles to implementing the agreement. Reuters reported that Netanyahu has continued to insist on complete disarmament before an Israeli withdrawal, while the US plan proposes a phased process.

Hamas faces pressure too

The diplomatic pressure is not directed exclusively at Israel.

Kushner's meeting with Hamas was aimed at securing concrete and verifiable commitments on disarmament. US officials and mediators want evidence that Hamas is prepared to surrender its military capabilities rather than simply offer political assurances.

Reports indicate that Hamas has again expressed support for the broader roadmap, while calling for Israel to accept the plan and establish a timetable for implementation. The group has also argued that the process must include a permanent ceasefire, Israeli withdrawal, humanitarian assistance and reconstruction.

The question of Hamas's future political role is another major issue. The proposed framework would move governance toward a Palestinian technocratic administration rather than continued Hamas rule, creating another difficult transition for negotiators.

Why Netanyahu's position matters

The meeting with Netanyahu is particularly important because Israel's approval is essential to any practical implementation of the plan.

Netanyahu faces competing political pressures. His government has maintained a hard line on Hamas's military capabilities, while international pressure is growing for an agreement that can end the fighting and establish a sustainable political arrangement for Gaza.

Reuters reported that Israel is also approaching national elections scheduled for October 27, creating an additional political factor in Netanyahu's calculations.

For the Israeli prime minister, accepting a phased withdrawal before complete disarmament could carry significant domestic political risks. Conversely, continuing to reject the US-backed proposal could deepen tensions with Washington and make a negotiated settlement more difficult.

The role of Arab mediators

Egypt, Qatar and Turkey remain important to the diplomatic process because of their relationships with the parties involved.

Egypt has played a longstanding role in Gaza negotiations and is directly affected by developments along its border. Qatar has previously served as a key intermediary between Israel and Hamas, while Turkey has also become involved in the latest diplomatic discussions.

The participation of several regional governments suggests that Washington is attempting to create a broader diplomatic framework rather than relying solely on direct US-Israel negotiations.

Several Arab and Muslim-majority countries have also called for the US-backed roadmap to move forward, increasing the international pressure surrounding Netanyahu's decision.

Humanitarian concerns remain critical

Behind the diplomatic language lies the humanitarian situation in Gaza.

A lasting agreement would need to address the delivery of humanitarian assistance, reconstruction of damaged infrastructure and the future administration of the territory. Any prolonged delay risks worsening conditions for civilians and making eventual reconstruction more complicated and expensive.

The proposed roadmap therefore goes beyond simply stopping military operations. It attempts to establish a sequence for security, governance, reconstruction and international involvement.

That makes the negotiations considerably more complicated than a traditional ceasefire arrangement.

What happens next?

The immediate objective of Kushner's mission is to determine whether the remaining differences can be narrowed enough to restart implementation of the Gaza roadmap.

The biggest question is whether Israel and Hamas can agree on a mechanism that satisfies Israel's demand for genuine disarmament while allowing Hamas to accept a process that includes Israeli withdrawal and a permanent end to the conflict.

Washington is trying to bridge that gap through phased implementation, international monitoring and political guarantees. Whether those mechanisms are strong enough to satisfy both sides remains uncertain.

The Kushner-Netanyahu meeting is therefore an important test of Trump's Gaza diplomacy. The US envoy has now spoken directly with representatives of Hamas and Israel within a short period, giving Washington a clearer understanding of what each side wants before the next stage of negotiations.

A fragile opportunity for Gaza

The latest diplomatic push does not guarantee that a final agreement is close. Major disputes over disarmament, Israeli withdrawal, governance and security remain unresolved.

Nevertheless, direct engagement with both Hamas and Netanyahu could provide an opportunity to identify compromises that were previously unavailable.

For civilians in Gaza, the significance is enormous. A successful agreement could open the way to a sustained ceasefire, humanitarian relief and large-scale reconstruction. Failure, however, could leave the territory trapped in another cycle of military operations and diplomatic deadlock.

Kushner's mission is consequently about more than salvaging a single proposal. It is an attempt to determine whether the competing demands of Israel, Hamas, the United States and regional mediators can be transformed into a workable political and security arrangement.

For now, the fate of the 15-point Gaza roadmap depends on whether negotiators can solve the central question that has stalled the process: how to achieve Hamas's disarmament and Israel's withdrawal without either side believing it is surrendering its fundamental security interests.