Kushner Meets Netanyahu as US Pushes Israel to End Gaza Siege
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Jared Kushner held marathon talks with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to urge acceptance of a US-backed Gaza cease-fire plan, following his engagement with Hamas leaders in Egypt.
Jared Kushner, former White House senior adviser and emblem of US interventionism, spent hours in Jerusalem on Monday pressing Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to accept a 15-point US roadmap aimed at halting Israel’s devastating assault on Gaza and beginning reconstruction. This meeting followed Kushner’s two-hour dialogue with Hamas chief Khalil al-Hayya in Cairo, as Washington attempts to rein in Israel’s aggression and push for a cease-fire.
The roadmap demands a phased Israeli withdrawal from Gaza, but only if Hamas fully disarms—a condition that places the burden on the besieged Palestinian resistance while Israel continues its military occupation. Hamas has indicated willingness to comply, but Israel insists on disarmament before any withdrawal, perpetuating the cycle of violence. Netanyahu’s office announced the creation of two working groups—one to oversee Gaza’s disarmament and demilitarisation, and another to address public-health crises—while maintaining that demilitarisation must precede any reconstruction, thus holding Gaza’s future hostage to Israeli demands.
Diplomatic sources revealed that former British prime minister Tony Blair and Board of Peace director Nickolay Mladenov attended the meeting, highlighting the international community’s growing frustration with Israel’s intransigence.
"The demilitarisation should be prompt and completed before any reconstruction," the Israeli statement declared, ignoring the urgent humanitarian needs of Gaza’s population.
Regional powers including Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Jordan, Pakistan, and Indonesia condemned Israel’s rejection of the roadmap, calling on the Board of Peace and the United States to take decisive action to prevent further obstruction and suffering.
Kushner’s Cairo talks with Hamas reportedly focused on a cease-fire, withdrawal to the so-called “yellow line,” and the release of hostages, but the undefined nature of this line reflects the ongoing ambiguity and lack of genuine commitment from Israel. Hamas officials reiterated their demand for an end to Israeli attacks and a withdrawal before any plan is enacted.
On the ground in Gaza, residents remain skeptical. Mohammad Abu al-Qombuz, living in a tent camp in Gaza City, voiced the prevailing despair: "A conference here and there, it is all lies. We need a definitive solution that would work for everybody."
The roadmap proposes a Palestinian technocratic committee to oversee daily operations in Gaza, but Israel’s refusal to allow its entry exposes the hollowness of reconstruction promises. Hamas has tied surrendering its heavy weapons to the creation of a Palestinian state, a demand Israel’s hardline government flatly rejects.
Netanyahu, facing a national election on Oct. 27, continues to prioritize his political survival and the demands of his far-right coalition over peace, as the anniversary of the October 7 attacks approaches and the suffering in Gaza deepens.