Jared Kushner meets with the Hamas leader in Egypt to revive the peace plan

US Middle East envoy Jared Kushner held talks Sunday with a Hamas delegation led by its new leader, Khalil al-Hayya, in Cairo. These discussions aimed to advance the US peace plan for Gaza, which was rejected last week by Israel.

This is a rare meeting, the first at this level since last year's ceasefire agreement. Jared Kushner, Donald Trump 's son-in-law and presidential envoy to the Middle East, met Sunday in Egypt with Khalil al-Hayya, the new leader of Hamas, according to a Palestinian official. Discussions focused on concrete measures for the disarmament of the Islamist movement, the withdrawal of Israeli troops, and humanitarian aid to Gaza.

Former British Prime Minister Tony Blair and Board of Peace envoy Nickolay Mladenov also participated in the meeting, along with representatives from Egypt, Qatar, and Turkey, which are mediating the conflict. Kushner also met with Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi earlier in the day.

The Board of Peace, an international organization created at Trump's initiative and chaired by him, announced last month an agreement for the "complete disarmament" of Hamas and other armed groups in Gaza. Its 15-point plan also calls for the withdrawal of Israeli troops and the reconstruction of the territory under a new Palestinian civilian administration. Israel rejected it last week.

“Israel rejects the 15-point document from the Board of Peace on Gaza. The IDF will not withdraw any troops until Hamas is truly disarmed,” declared Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, openly defying his main ally. He is conditioning any implementation of the agreement on the prior and complete disarmament of Hamas.

Eight Muslim countries reacted on Sunday with a joint statement condemning Israel's refusal. Egypt, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Turkey, Pakistan, and Indonesia considered Israel's position to be jeopardizing Trump's peace efforts.

According to Israeli media, Kushner, Blair, and Mladenov are scheduled to meet with Netanyahu on Monday to try to make progress on the issue. The ceasefire, which came into effect on October 10, remains formally in place, but the Israeli army has carried out several strikes since then, particularly in the Khan Younis and Nuseirat areas, accusing Hamas of violating the truce.

The conflict was triggered by Hamas's attack on southern Israel on October 7, 2023, which killed approximately 1,200 people and resulted in the capture of 251 hostages. The ensuing Israeli military campaign killed more than 73,000 people, according to the Gaza Health Ministry, figures considered reliable by the UN. Some 1,9 million Palestinians, or 90% of the territory's population, have been displaced since the start of the war.