Kushner meets Netanyahu as Israel resists US-backed Gaza ceasefire roadmap

Jared Kushner met Benjamin Netanyahu in Jerusalem after Israel rejected a US-backed Gaza roadmap. The talks underline mounting pressure on Israel as ceasefire, disarmament and Gaza's future remain unresolved.

In Short

• Hamas says it accepted disarmament terms and wants Israel compelled onboard
• Israeli forces currently hold about 60 per cent of Gaza territory
• Saudi Arabia, UAE and others blamed Israel for obstructing peace efforts

Jared Kushner, the Middle East negotiator and US President Donald Trump's son-in-law, met Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Monday, days after Netanyahu rejected a 15-point, US-backed road map meant to move the Gaza ceasefire deal forward. The meeting in Jerusalem had stretched to about three hours by Monday afternoon, as the US continued to push for Israel's approval of the plan.

The meeting came a day after Kushner held a two-hour discussion in Cairo with Hamas chief Khalil al-Hayya on disarmament. Much is riding on the talks, including the lives of about 2 million Palestinians in Gaza, the reconstruction of the war-ravaged enclave and who will control it in the future.

Hamas has said it has agreed to the road map, which includes disarmament, and is urging mediators and the US-created Board of Peace to "compel" Israel to sign on. Israel, however, says Hamas must fully disarm before any Israeli withdrawal, even though the road map requires a gradual Israeli pullout from Gaza. Israeli troops now occupy about 60 per cent of the territory, and Netanyahu has earlier threatened to take control of more.

Former British prime minister Tony Blair and Board of Peace director Nickolay Mladenov were also part of the meeting with Netanyahu, according to a source familiar with the plans and a diplomatic source. Both spoke on condition of anonymity because the meeting was held behind closed doors. Israel did not immediately comment.

According to a regional official and a Hamas official, Kushner's meeting with al-Hayya in Cairo on Sunday was also attended by officials from Egypt, Qatar and Turkiye, which are involved in mediation. The Hamas official said al-Hayya demanded that Israel stop its attacks on Gaza and withdraw to the so-called yellow line before implementation could begin. The yellow line has never been precisely defined. Israeli forces have moved beyond it and now control about 60 per cent of Gaza. In May, Netanyahu said the next step was to move to 70 per cent control, with Israel "tightening the grip" on Hamas "from every direction".

Pressure on Israel also grew from the region. Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Jordan, Pakistan, Indonesia and the ceasefire mediators were among those who signed a joint statement on Sunday condemning Israel's rejection of the road map. The statement said, "Israel now bears responsibility for obstructing the efforts to bring peace in Gaza." It also called on the Board of Peace and the US to take "immediate and concrete measures" to prevent any side from blocking implementation. Israel had no immediate response. The White House referred questions about Kushner's meetings to the Board of Peace, which did not immediately comment. The Tony Blair Institute also did not comment.

In Gaza, the visit prompted both hope and doubt. While some people said the effort could help end the war triggered by the Hamas-led attack on southern Israel on October 7, 2023, others remained unconvinced. Mohammad Abu al-Qombuz, who lives in a tent camp in Gaza City, said, "A conference here and there, it is all lies. We need a definitive solution that would work for everybody." Under the road map, Hamas would hand over weapons to a Palestinian technocratic committee meant to oversee daily operations in Gaza, though the committee has not yet entered the territory. Hamas has linked the surrender of its heaviest weapons to the creation of a Palestinian state, and the road map refers to a "credible pathway toward achieving Palestinian self-determination and statehood", something Israel's current government rejects.

Until the road map is agreed, other parts of the ceasefire plan remain on hold, including reconstruction and the deployment of international forces to separate Israeli troops from areas controlled by the committee. Netanyahu also faces an election on October 27 and is trying to stay in power with a coalition that includes ministers who take a hard line on Gaza, making it unclear whether he will move decisively on a ceasefire before then. The October 7 anniversary of the Hamas-led attack that started the war is also approaching, as talks continue without a breakthrough.

With PTI Inputs

- Ends