In Egypt, U.S. Middle East envoy Jared Kushner met Hamas leader Khalil al‑Hayya to advance a U.S.‑backed Gaza peace plan that demands complete disarmament of Hamas and a phased Israeli withdrawal.
The meeting was attended by Board of Peace envoys Nickolai Mladenov and former UK prime minister Tony Blair, as well as officials from Egypt, Qatar and Turkey—countries that have been mediating the conflict.
No official statement was released, but reports indicate the talks focused on concrete steps to neutralise Hamas’s weapons, evacuate Israeli troops, and boost humanitarian aid. Israel’s prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, has rejected the Board’s 15‑point document, insisting that the IDF will not withdraw until Hamas is fully disarmed.
The ceasefire that went into effect on 10 October remains in place, but Israel has carried out strikes in Gaza’s Khan Yunis and Nuseirat areas claiming “terrorists” broke the truce. The original conflict, triggered by a Hamas attack on 7 October, has killed around 1,200 Israelis and 73,000 Palestinians according to Gaza’s health ministry, with the UN estimating 1.9 million people—90% of the Gaza population—displaced.
Kushner is slated to meet Netanyahu on Monday in hopes of advancing the U.S. plan, with Israeli officials stating that a full disarmament of Hamas is necessary before any withdrawals can happen.
