Jared Kushner, Trump's envoy and son-in-law, met with Egyptian, Qatari, and Turkish mediators in Cairo on Sunday, with Hamas officials present at some of those sessions, according to a diplomatic source cited by multiple outlets. Kushner, Trump's Board of Peace envoy Nickolay Mladenov, and former British Prime Minister Tony Blair were subsequently scheduled to meet Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Monday, as the parties sought to advance a US-drafted plan for Gaza's demilitarization.
Kushner meets Hamas-linked officials in Cairo before scheduled Jerusalem talks with Netanyahu on Gaza disarmament
Jared Kushner, Trump's envoy and son-in-law, met with Egyptian, Qatari, and Turkish mediators in Cairo on Sunday, with Hamas officials present at some of those sessions, according to a diplomatic source cited by multiple outlets. Kushner, Trump's Board of Peace envoy Nickolay Mladenov, and former British Prime Minister Tony Blair were subsequently scheduled to meet Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Monday, as the parties sought to advance a US-drafted plan for Gaza's demilitarization.
A diplomatic source confirmed that Hamas leader Khalil Al-Hayya was present at some of the mediator meetings with Kushner and Mladenov in Cairo, according to the Straits Times. The Guardian described the meetings as involving Egyptian, Qatari, and Turkish mediators. The Jerusalem Post reported that the Cairo-area meetings took place in El Alamein, Egypt, and also involved the National Committee for the Administration of Gaza, whose members reviewed plans ahead of a prospective transfer of governing authority.
The Straits Times noted this was Kushner's second known meeting with Hamas representatives, the first having taken place in October 2025 alongside US envoy Steve Witkoff and resulting in a ceasefire and the release of hostages seized during the October 7, 2023 attacks on Israel.
The US plan centers on Hamas disarming in exchange for an Israeli military withdrawal from Gaza and an eventual transfer of power to a Palestinian governing body. Trump said in late July that a deal had been reached for complete disarmament of Hamas and other armed groups, according to the Straits Times. The Jerusalem Post cited a senior Board of Peace official as describing the framework as a '20-point plan,' of which the disarmament document is a 15-point component. The Guardian and other sources referred to the plan primarily as a 15-point document.
Netanyahu has publicly rejected the plan. The Guardian quoted him as saying: 'Israel does not accept the 15-point document. The IDF will not carry out any withdrawal until Hamas is disarmed. And when I say the disarming of Hamas, it means heavy weaponry, lighter weaponry, all weaponry. And we are talking about genuine disarmament, not fictitious disarmament.' The Straits Times noted Netanyahu is seeking re-election at a vote due in October.
Hamas said it had agreed to the plan but that implementation depended on Israel first meeting its own commitments, including withdrawal and halting attacks, according to the Straits Times. The Guardian quoted Hamas as saying that handing over heavy weapons was contingent on Israel ending 'all forms of aggression' and withdrawing its forces. Hamas also called on mediators and the US-created Board of Peace to 'compel' Israel to approve Trump's roadmap.
A senior Board of Peace official told the Jerusalem Post that the upcoming Jerusalem talks would focus on accelerating implementation, with the US and Israel agreeing on 'the end state: a demilitarized Hamas.' The official stated that Hamas 'must relinquish governing authority and all weapons and military infrastructure' and that 'Gaza can never again serve as a source of terrorism against Israel.' The official also outlined goals including deploying an International Stabilization Force, enabling Israeli withdrawals, and accelerating humanitarian aid and reconstruction.
The Israeli military said on Sunday that its aircraft struck Islamic Jihad and Hamas militants in Khan Younis and Nuseirat in Gaza, according to the Guardian. At least five Palestinians were wounded in a strike on a tent encampment, and one later died from wounds at Nasser hospital, Gaza medics said. A separate strike hit an apartment in Nuseirat camp, wounding several people.
According to the Guardian, a senior Israeli official said Israel was concerned about a US demand to end targeted assassinations of Hamas militants as the group rebuilds its forces. Several regional powers, including Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, condemned Israel's rejection of the peace roadmap and said the country was obstructing peace efforts, the Guardian reported.
The Guardian also reported that a 60-day memorandum of understanding between the US and Iran aimed at ending their conflict was set to expire on Monday, with talks still stalled, and that shipping through the Strait of Hormuz slowed over the weekend following attacks on tankers.
Where sources differ
- The number of points in the US plan differs across sources: The Guardian and the Straits Times refer primarily to a '15-point plan,' while the Jerusalem Post describes a broader '20-point plan' that includes the 15-point disarmament document as one component.
- The location of the Sunday Egypt meetings differs: The Guardian describes them as taking place in Cairo, while the Jerusalem Post places them in El Alamein, Egypt.
- Neither the content of the specific discussions between Kushner and Hamas officials nor any outcomes or agreements from the Cairo meetings are established by any source.
- The outcome of the planned Monday meeting between Kushner, Mladenov, Blair, and Netanyahu is not covered by any of the sources.
- It is not established whether Netanyahu's stated conditions for disarmament are shared by other members of the Israeli government or coalition.
- The sources do not clarify the precise relationship between the '15-point document' and the broader '20-point plan' referenced by the Jerusalem Post.
- No source details the composition, authority, or readiness of the International Stabilization Force referenced in the plan.
- Qatar's and Turkey's positions on the current state of negotiations are not detailed by any source beyond their participation as mediators.
- The current status of US-Iran talks and the consequences of the expiring memorandum of understanding are not elaborated upon.
- The Guardian — original — by https://www.theguardian.com/profile/mabel-banfield-nwachi,https://www.theguardian.com/profile/martin-belam,https://www.theguardian.com/profile/tom-ambrose
- The Straits Times — by The Straits Times
- The Jerusalem Post — by AMICHAI STEIN
Read the original at The Guardian