US President Donald Trump's Middle East envoy Jared Kushner has held rare talks with Hamas to discuss the implementation of the US-backed Gaza peace plan. A Palestinian official told the BBC that Trump's son-in-law met a delegation led by Hamas's new leader Khalil al-Hayya in Egypt on Sunday.
Last month, Trump's Board of Peace announced it had reached an agreement for the "complete disarmament" of Hamas and other armed groups in Gaza. However, last week, Israel rejected Trump's 15-point plan, which also calls for Israeli troops to withdraw and for Gaza to be rebuilt under a new civilian Palestinian administration.
Eight Muslim countries issued a joint statement on Sunday condemning Israel's rejection. Kushner's meeting with al-Hayya is said to be the first at this level since last year's ceasefire agreement. Board of Peace envoys Nickolay Mladenov and former UK Prime Minister Tony Blair were also reportedly part of the meeting, alongside representatives of Egypt, Qatar, and Turkey, which have mediated in the peace efforts.
No official statement has been released, but the talks reportedly focused on concrete actions to decommission Hamas's weapons, the withdrawal of Israeli troops, and humanitarian efforts. Kushner also met Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi. According to Israeli media reports, Kushner, Mladenov, and Blair will meet Netanyahu on Monday to advance Trump's plan.
The Israeli prime minister has said he wants full Hamas disarmament first to implement the deal. "Israel rejects the Board of Peace's 15-point document on Gaza. The IDF will not carry out any withdrawal until Hamas is genuinely disarmed," Netanyahu said last week, defying Israel's closest ally. In a joint statement on Sunday, Egypt, UAE, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Turkey, Pakistan, and Indonesia said Israel's rejection of the US plan threatened Trump's peace efforts.
The ceasefire, which came into effect on 10 October last year, remains in place. However, the Israel Defense Forces have carried out several strikes in Gaza since then, the latest on "terrorists" in Khan Yunis and Nuseirat areas, accusing Hamas of breaking the truce. The war was triggered by the Hamas-led attack on southern Israel on 7 October 2023, in which about 1,200 people were killed and 251 others were taken hostage. Israel responded by launching a military campaign in Gaza, during which more than 73,000 people have been killed, according to the territory's health ministry. The UN estimates that about 1.9 million people — 90% of Gaza's population — have been displaced since the war started.
Source: www.bbc.co.uk