Trump's Son-in-Law Kushner Holds Gaza Talks with Netanyahu, Yielding No Major Breakthrough

Jared Kushner, the U.S. special envoy and son-in-law of U.S. President Donald Trump, held talks with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on the 17th local time to address the Gaza situation, but the meeting appears to have fallen short of producing a clear breakthrough to break the deadlock.

According to Reuters, AFP, and dpa news agencies, Special Envoy Kushner met with Prime Minister Netanyahu in Jerusalem for four hours.

A day earlier, he met directly in Egypt with Khalil al-Hayya, who took office as Hamas chief last month, engaging both Israeli and Hamas sides in succession over two days.

The visit was reportedly accompanied by Nickolay Mladenov, the high representative of the "Peace Committee," a body launched under President Trump's leadership to oversee the Gaza peace initiative.

The Israeli Prime Minister's Office and the Peace Committee described the talks as "deep and constructive" as well as "highly productive."

The two sides discussed the demilitarization and reconstruction of the Gaza Strip, along with public health issues, and agreed to establish two working groups to separately handle disarmament and demilitarization, and public health issues such as sanitation and clean drinking water, according to the Israeli side.

However, differences in stance remained stark on core issues.

The Israeli side reconfirmed its position that neither the redeployment or withdrawal of Israeli troops nor reconstruction can begin until Hamas completes its disarmament across the entire Gaza Strip.

The stance is that Hamas handing over and destroying all weapons must be the first step toward the demilitarization of Gaza.

Prime Minister Netanyahu made it clear during the talks that he will not withdraw troops and will continue operations in Gaza if necessary, Reuters reported, citing an Israeli official.

He also said that Prime Minister Netanyahu and Special Envoy Kushner agreed during the talks not to begin Gaza's reconstruction until Hamas completely disarms, including small arms.

AFP reported that discussions took place on a plan for U.S. Army Major General Jasper Jeffers, appointed as commander of the International Stabilization Force currently being formed, to oversee the process of Hamas returning and destroying weapons.

On the other hand, Hamas maintains that Israel must halt its attacks first.

While Hamas says it agrees with President Trump's Gaza roadmap itself, it argues that the plan can only be implemented if Israel fulfills its promises.

Hamas reportedly reaffirmed its commitment to implementing the agreement during its talks with Special Envoy Kushner the previous day, while demanding that Israel halt its attacks on Gaza and withdraw beyond the so-called "yellow line" dividing the territory before beginning the implementation of the roadmap, including disarmament.

The 15-point initiative unveiled by President Trump last month includes the cessation of hostilities by Israel, Hamas, and other militant groups, followed by the phased disarmament of Hamas and the phased withdrawal of Israeli troops, with a transitional Palestinian administration supported by the International Stabilization Force taking charge of Gaza's administration and security.

However, the plan has fallen into a stalemate as the two sides clash over whether Hamas's disarmament or the withdrawal of Israeli troops should be implemented first.

Regarding this, Special Envoy Kushner said in an interview with Fox News following the talks that "we will be able to see progress," adding, "Hopefully, at least 30 days from now, some weapon removal will begin, and 60 to 90 days from now, some (Hamas) tunnels will begin to be plugged."

However, Israel maintains that even if Hamas disarms, the Israeli military must retain the "freedom of action" to conduct operations in Gaza if security needs dictate.

It also released a position that the Israeli military may not withdraw from the "yellow line" established during last October's ceasefire.

In response, Special Envoy Kushner stated that the United States would not restrict Israel's right to self-defense in the event of an imminent threat.

He added, however, that the specific meaning of this needs to be clarified.

He also stated regarding Gaza reconstruction, "We will not allow Gaza to be rebuilt until demilitarization takes place," and "No one wants to pour more money into a place where terrorists could take over again or blow things up once more."

Prior to these talks, Special Envoy Kushner reportedly demanded in Egypt that the Hamas side verify the return of weapons and demanded that Hamas not participate in the future governance of Gaza.

Another factor clouding the future negotiation outlook is the fact that Prime Minister Netanyahu faces a general election on October 27.

Diplomatic circles believe that Prime Minister Netanyahu, eyeing reelection, is unlikely to make significant concessions on the Gaza issue ahead of the election.

Meanwhile, eight Arab and Muslim countries, including Saudi Arabia, Egypt, and the United Arab Emirates (UAE), issued a joint statement the previous day criticizing Israel's rejection of the Gaza roadmap.

(Photo: Getty Images)
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.