Kushner has a rare meeting with Hamas' leader on the Gaza road map. A
meeting with Netanyahu is next
[August 17, 2026]
By SAMY MAGDY, JULIA FRANKEL and CARA ANNA
CAIRO (AP) — U.S. negotiator and President Donald Trump 's son-in-law
Jared Kushner held a rare meeting with the Hamas chief on Sunday in a
new diplomatic effort to make progress in the stalled Gaza ceasefire.
Kushner will meet on Monday with Israel's prime minister, who is under
pressure after rejecting the new 15-point, U.S.-backed road map.
The talks aim to salvage the plan for Hamas to disarm and Israel to
withdraw from the Palestinian territory shattered by war.
At stake are the lives of some 2 million people in Gaza and
reconstruction of the crowded enclave now largely controlled by Israeli
forces, more than 10 months since the ceasefire ended major military
operations. A meeting between Kushner, fellow envoy Steve Witkoff and
Hamas leaders in Egypt last year helped clinch the ceasefire, whose
progress until now had been stalled over the key issue of Hamas’
disarmament.
The more than two-hour meeting in Egypt with Hamas' Khalil al-Hayya was
confirmed by a regional official and a Hamas official, both speaking on
condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to talk to
reporters. Kushner was one of a trio of envoys meeting with al-Hayya,
with officials from mediating countries Egypt, Qatar and Turkey also
there.
Hamas in a statement later called on mediators and the U.S.-created
Board of Peace overseeing the ceasefire to “compel” Israel to approve
the road map for next steps.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu last week rejected the
15-point plan in a rare public show of defiance against the Trump
administration, Israel’s closest ally.
Kushner, former British prime minister Tony Blair and the Board of Peace
director, Nickolay Mladenov, are to meet with Netanyahu on Monday,
according to a source familiar with the plans and a diplomatic source.
Both spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss a closed-door meeting.
Regional powers accuse Israel of obstructing peace efforts
Several regional powers including Saudi Arabia and the United Arab
Emirates issued a statement condemning Israel’s rejection of the road
map, saying that “Israel now bears responsibility for obstructing the
efforts to bring peace in Gaza.” Other signers included Jordan,
Pakistan, Indonesia and the ceasefire mediators.
The foreign ministers' statement called on the Board of Peace and the
U.S. to take “immediate and concrete measures” to keep any party from
obstructing the plan’s implementation.
Kushner’s meeting with the Hamas leader aimed at ensuring the militant
group’s commitment to the road map, particularly disarmament, before his
meeting with Netanyahu, the regional official said.
The Hamas official said the group is committed and waiting for mediators
to start the 14-day negotiation period to work out a timetable for
implementation. That period requires all parties' approval of the road
map to begin.
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Jared Kushner waits to walk into the ring after the lightweight
championship bout at UFC Freedom 250 on the South Lawn of the White
House, June 15, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon, File)
The Hamas official also said the Hamas leader demanded that Israel
halt its attacks on Gaza and withdraw to the so-called “yellow line”
dividing the territory before beginning implementation. The yellow
line was never precisely defined. Israeli forces have moved beyond
it and now control about 60% of Gaza.
In May, Netanyahu said the next step was to move to 70% control,
with Israel “tightening the grip” on Hamas “from every direction.”
The White House had no comment on the talks
The White House referred questions about Kushner's meetings to the
Board of Peace, which did not immediately comment. The Tony Blair
Institute did not comment.
Under the road map, Hamas would hand over weapons to the Palestinian
technocratic committee meant to oversee daily operations in the
territory. The committee has not yet entered Gaza. But Hamas has
linked the surrender of its heaviest weapons to the creation of a
Palestinian state, something Israel’s current government rejects.
The road map involves Hamas gradually giving up its weapons while
Israeli forces halt attacks and begin withdrawing from Gaza. But
Netanyahu says Israel will not retreat from any position in Gaza
until Hamas has been completely disarmed.
That stance leaves other elements of the ceasefire, including
reconstruction and the deployment of international forces to
separate Israeli forces from committee-controlled areas, on hold.
Netanyahu faces a challenging election on Oct. 27 as he tries to
hold on to power with a coalition that includes ministers taking a
harsh line on Gaza, and it's not clear whether he will take decisive
steps on the ceasefire before then. Also coming up is the
anniversary of the Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas-led attack on southern Israel
that sparked the war.
Netanyahu's Likud party on Sunday responded to the statement by
regional powers by claiming that “Arab states want to topple”
Netanyahu so that centrist challenger Gadi Eisenkot and center-left
party leader Yair Golan "will give them everything they want. That
will not happen.”
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Frankel reported from Jerusalem and Anna from Lowville, New York.
Collin Binkley in Washington and Sylvia Hui in London contributed.
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