Kushhar meets Hamas in Cairo as regional powers condemn Israel’s rejection of Gaza peace plan
Eight Muslim nations issue joint statement while Netanyahu insists on disarmament before any troop withdrawal
US President Donald Trump’s Middle East envoy, Jared Kushner, has held rare direct talks with a Hamas delegation in Egypt, seeking to advance the implementation of a US-backed peace plan for the Gaza Strip. The meeting, which took place on Sunday, involved Hamas’s new leader Khalil al-Hayya and was attended by envoys from Trump’s Board of Peace, including Nickolay Mladenov and former UK Prime Minister Tony Blair.
The diplomatic engagement occurred against a backdrop of significant regional tension, following Israel’s rejection of Trump’s 15-point plan just one week prior. The proposal, which calls for the complete disarmament of Hamas and other armed groups, the withdrawal of Israeli troops, and the establishment of a new civilian Palestinian administration for Gaza’s reconstruction, was dismissed by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
Netanyahu has maintained a firm stance that genuine disarmament must precede any deal or Israeli troop withdrawal. In a statement last week, the Prime Minister declared that the Israel Defence Forces would not carry out any withdrawal until Hamas was genuinely disarmed, directly challenging the framework proposed by the Board of Peace.
In response to Israel’s rejection, eight Muslim countries issued a joint statement on Sunday condemning the decision. Egypt, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Turkey, Pakistan, and Indonesia asserted that Israel bears responsibility for obstructing peace efforts, warning that the rejection threatens the broader diplomatic initiatives led by the Trump administration.
During his visit to Cairo, Kushner also met with Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi. Reports indicate that the talks focused on concrete actions regarding the decommissioning of weapons, humanitarian efforts, and the logistics of Israeli troop withdrawal. While no official statement has been released detailing the specific outcomes of the discussions with Hamas, the meeting marks the first high-level engagement of this nature since the ceasefire agreement was reached last year.
According to Israeli media reports, Kushner, Mladenov, and Blair are scheduled to meet with Netanyahu on Monday to further advance the peace plan. The ceasefire, which came into effect on 10 October last year, remains technically in place, although the Israel Defence Forces have carried out several strikes in Gaza, accusing Hamas of violating the truce.
The humanitarian situation in Gaza remains critical, with the UN estimating that approximately 1.9 million people, representing 90% of the population, have been displaced since the conflict began. The war, triggered by the Hamas-led attack on 7 October 2023, has resulted in significant casualties, with the territory’s health ministry reporting more than 73,000 deaths.
