Kushner to visit Israel and Egypt after Netanyahu rejects Gaza peace plan
The Board of Peace confirms Jared Kushner’s upcoming trip aims to address concerns over the Trump-backed 15-point proposal, which was rejected by Benjamin Netanyahu due to requirements for Hamas to disarm and Israeli troops to withdraw.
Jared Kushner is scheduled to travel to Israel and Egypt next week to advocate for a US-backed Board of Peace plan intended to bring a permanent end to the war in Gaza. The diplomatic mission follows Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s rejection of a Trump-backed 15-point proposal, a decision driven by opposition to specific provisions requiring Hamas to disarm and for Israeli forces to withdraw from the territory.
A Board of Peace official confirmed the visit, stating that Kushner will be accompanied by the board’s director general, former Bulgarian minister Nickolay Mladenov, and executive committee member, former British Prime Minister Tony Blair. The trio is expected to engage with Israeli and Egyptian mediators to “hear the concerns that have been raised and talk about next steps” regarding the stalled peace process.
The rejection of the 15-point plan centres on the mechanism for Hamas’s disarmament. Netanyahu opposed the clause stipulating that Hamas would gradually transfer its weapons to a Palestinian third party while Israel concurrently withdrew its troops. Despite the Israeli government’s stance, Hamas has announced it agreed to a preliminary version of the deal and maintains its commitment to the arrangement, viewing its approval as a significant breakthrough despite undefined implementation details.
Board officials maintain that both the Board of Peace and Israel agree on the desired end state, which is a demilitarised Hamas. The upcoming meetings in Cairo will focus on solidifying a roadmap with Egyptian and other international mediators, aiming to accelerate progress toward a resolution that includes the deployment of an International Stabilisation Force and the transfer of power to a technocratic Palestinian government.
Concurrent with these diplomatic efforts, tensions have escalated in the occupied West Bank due to a surge in settler violence. US Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee issued a rare rebuke regarding a siege in the village of Qusra, Nablus, describing the actions as “disgusting” and “thuggish behaviour.” Huckabee stated the US embassy has been heavily involved in requesting the removal of Israeli forces and settlers implicated in the incident, which involved cutting off residents from water and electricity.
United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) data underscores the severity of the situation in the West Bank, recording 3,033 settler attacks between January 2025 and June 2026, averaging approximately six incidents per day. According to the UN, Israeli forces and settlers have killed 76 Palestinians, including 18 children, in the occupied territory so far in 2026.
The broader context of the conflict remains volatile, with local authorities reporting at least 1,260 Palestinian deaths in Gaza since the ceasefire agreement went into effect in late 2025. Israel has gradually expanded its area of control in Gaza, now accounting for approximately 70 percent of the enclave. The total death toll in Gaza since the Hamas-led attack on October 7, 2023, stands at 73,389 Palestinians.
