Kushner's Gaza shuttle diplomacy hits wall as Israel, Hamas hold firm

Jared Kushner, President Trump's son-in-law and Middle East envoy, concluded two days of high-stakes meetings with Israeli and Hamas leaders on Monday without securing a breakthrough on the stalled Gaza peace plan. The diplomatic push, which included a lengthy session with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in Jerusalem and a prior meeting with Hamas political chief Khalil Al-Hayya in Egypt, failed to reconcile the fundamental disagreements blocking the initiative.

The core dispute remains the sequencing of the plan's implementation. Netanyahu's office reiterated that Israel will not withdraw its forces from Gaza until Hamas is completely disarmed, including of light weapons. The prime minister also insisted that reconstruction efforts would not begin until that disarmament is complete. Hamas, for its part, maintains it agreed to the roadmap but argues Israel must first halt its military operations and withdraw.

Israeli officials indicated Netanyahu made clear the military would continue operations in Gaza as it deems necessary, including targeting those involved in the October 7, 2023, attack. Two sources said the Kushner-Netanyahu meeting lasted several hours, with Nickolay Mladenov, the Board of Peace's Gaza envoy, also in attendance.

Despite the lack of a breakthrough, both sides characterized the talks as constructive. The prime minister's office described the meeting as "deep and constructive" and announced agreement on establishing working groups focused on disarmament and on public health issues like sanitation and clean water in Gaza. A Board of Peace official echoed this sentiment, calling the meeting "in-depth and very productive" and saying a path forward had been agreed upon, though no specifics were provided.

Diplomats note that Netanyahu, facing a tough reelection campaign ahead of the October 27 vote, is unlikely to make significant concessions before then. The meeting marked Kushner's second known engagement with Hamas representatives, following his October 2025 involvement in securing the ceasefire and release of hostages.