Jared Kushner, Donald Trump's son-in-law and envoy, held a rare meeting with Hamas's political chief in Egypt on Sunday, as part of a new diplomatic push to revive the stalled Gaza ceasefire. The meeting precedes his scheduled talks with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Monday, who faces pressure after rejecting a new 15-point, US-backed road map.
Diplomatic Push to Salvage Ceasefire Plan
The talks aim to salvage a plan that calls for Hamas to disarm and Israel to withdraw from the war-torn Palestinian territory. At stake are the lives of some 2 million people in Gaza and the reconstruction of the enclave, now largely under Israeli control more than 10 months after the ceasefire ended major military operations.
A previous meeting between Kushner, fellow envoy Steve Witkoff, and Hamas leaders in Egypt last year helped clinch the ceasefire. However, progress has since stalled over the key issue of Hamas's disarmament.
Meeting Details and Confirmation
The over-two-hour meeting in Egypt with Hamas's political chief, Khalil al-Hayya, was confirmed by a regional official and a Hamas official, both speaking on condition of anonymity. Kushner was part of a trio of envoys meeting with al-Hayya, with officials from mediating countries Egypt, Qatar, and Turkey also present.
Hamas later issued a statement calling on mediators and the US-created Board of Peace overseeing the ceasefire to “compel” Israel to approve the road map for next steps. Netanyahu rejected the 15-point plan last week in a rare public show of defiance against the Trump administration, Israel's closest ally.
Regional Pressure and Upcoming Negotiations
Kushner, along with Tony Blair, the former British prime minister, and Nickolay Mladenov, the Board of Peace director, are scheduled to meet with Netanyahu on Monday, according to sources familiar with the plans. Several regional powers, including Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, issued a joint statement condemning Israel's rejection of the road map, stating: “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 US to take “immediate and concrete measures” to prevent any party from obstructing the plan's implementation. Kushner's meeting with the Hamas leader aimed to ensure the militant group's commitment to the road map, particularly disarmament, before his meeting with Netanyahu, the regional official said.
Hamas's Position and Road Map Details
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. The Hamas official also said the leader demanded that Israel halt attacks on Gaza and withdraw to the so-called “yellow line” dividing the territory before implementation. The yellow line was never precisely defined, and Israeli forces have moved beyond it, controlling 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.” Israel has killed more than 1,200 Palestinians in Gaza and wounded more than 4,100 since agreeing to the ceasefire on 10 October 2025, according to Gaza's health ministry.
Under the road map, Hamas would hand over weapons to a Palestinian technocratic committee meant to oversee daily operations in the territory. The committee has not yet entered Gaza. Hamas has linked the surrender of its heaviest weapons to the creation of a Palestinian state, which Israel's current government rejects. The road map involves Hamas gradually giving up weapons while Israeli forces halt attacks and begin withdrawing, but Netanyahu insists Israel will not retreat until Hamas is completely disarmed.
That stance leaves other ceasefire elements on hold, including reconstruction and the deployment of international forces. Netanyahu faces a challenging election on 27 October, with a coalition including ministers taking a harsh line on Gaza. The three-year anniversary of the Hamas-led attack on southern Israel on 7 October is also approaching. Netanyahu's Likud party responded to the regional statement by claiming “Arab states want to topple” Netanyahu so that centrist challenger Gadi Eisenkot and center-left leader Yair Golan “will give them everything they want. That will not happen.”
