Benjamin Netanyahu and Jared Kushner made no breakthrough on the stalled Gaza ceasefire deal after a three-hour meeting in Israel on Monday. Netanyahu again told Donald Trump’s envoy that Israeli troops would not withdraw from Gaza until Hamas fully disarms.
The meeting produced an agreement to establish two working groups, including one on Hamas disarmament and Gaza demilitarisation. Netanyahu’s office said that work should be completed before reconstruction begins, while a Board of Peace official described the discussions as productive.
The central dispute remains unresolved
An Israeli official said Netanyahu made clear that the Israel Defense Forces would not withdraw and would continue operations in Gaza. Netanyahu also requested that a US general supervise Hamas’s handover of weapons.
The position conflicts with Hamas’s demand that Israel first withdraw from the roughly 60% of Gaza it occupies. The group has said it accepts the US-backed 15-point roadmap, but wants mediators and the Board of Peace to compel Israel to sign on.
Related coverage: Kushner presses Hamas on disarmament during Egypt talks.
What happened before the meeting
Kushner met Hamas political chief Khalil al-Hayya in Egypt on Sunday. A Hamas official said the group was waiting for mediators to begin a 14-day negotiation period to set an implementation timetable, which requires all parties to approve the roadmap.
The Monday meeting included Tony Blair and Nickolay Mladenov, as well as officials from Egypt, Qatar and Turkey. It followed Netanyahu’s forceful rejection a week earlier of the US-backed plan to advance the ceasefire.
Why the next steps matter
The roadmap calls for Israel to withdraw gradually from Gaza, while Netanyahu insists that full Hamas disarmament must come first. That sequencing has left the deal at a long-term impasse, with Israeli forces continuing to control about 60% of the territory and Netanyahu having previously threatened to take more.
More context: Jared Kushner heads to Israel and Egypt amid Gaza plan dispute.
Hamas has also demanded that Israel halt attacks and withdraw to the so-called yellow line before implementation begins. The line has not been precisely defined, and Israeli forces have moved beyond it. The dispute affects about 2 million people in Gaza and the prospects for rebuilding the territory.
Also read: Khalil al-Hayya travels to Cairo before Kushner’s Gaza mission.
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