Hamas leaders met in Egypt on Sunday with Jared Kushner, US President Donald Trump’s son-in-law and Middle East envoy, as he sought to advance Donald Trump’s latest Gaza plan. Diplomatic sources told the AFP news agency that Kushner pressed for Hamas to disarm and give up any future role in governing Gaza, while Hamas reiterated its commitment to the agreement.
The meeting, which Hamas and the US envoy have not confirmed, was part of Kushner’s trip to Israel and Egypt to narrow differences over the roadmap. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said last week that the plan was “unacceptable”.
What the talks covered
The objective was described by a source to Axios as translating Hamas’s disarmament into “concrete, verifiable steps”. Trump’s plan calls for military operations in Gaza to stop immediately, Hamas to disarm as Israeli troops withdraw, and reconstruction under a new civilian Palestinian administration.
Nickolay Mladenov, a high representative of Trump’s so-called Board of Peace, and former British Prime Minister Tony Blair, also a board member, joined Kushner, according to Axios. Hamas political leader Khalil al-Hayya attended with Egyptian intelligence chief Hassan Rashad, Qatari diplomat Ali Al Thawadi and a senior Turkish official, the US outlet reported.
Related coverage: Jared Kushner heads to Israel and Egypt amid Gaza plan dispute.
Why Hamas’s position matters
A source with knowledge of the talks told AFP that Hamas reaffirmed its commitment to the agreement. Hamas has said implementation depends on Israel first meeting its own commitments, including withdrawing its forces and halting attacks.
The United States has historically refused contact with Hamas, which it classifies as a “terrorist organisation”, but the Trump administration has increasingly pursued direct contact in an effort to end the conflict.
The wider diplomatic and military picture
Kushner had earlier met Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi, according to el-Sisi’s office. An Israeli official said Kushner and Mladenov were scheduled to meet Netanyahu on Monday, with Israel concerned about Washington’s demand to end targeted assassinations of Hamas fighters in Gaza.
More context: Khalil al-Hayya travels to Cairo before Kushner’s Gaza mission.
Israel resumed air strikes in recent days after scaling back attacks earlier this month, despite an October 2025 ceasefire. Medics said at least five Palestinians were injured on Sunday when an Israeli strike hit a tent encampment in Khan Younis; another strike on an apartment in the Nuseirat refugee camp wounded several people. Palestinian official sources said more than 1,250 Palestinians in Gaza had been killed by Israeli fire since the ceasefire began, with the overall death toll since October 2023 exceeding 73,300.
Also read: Trump’s Iran reparations demand adds strain to stalled talks.
No comments yet. Start the discussion.