Benjamin Netanyahu is set to meet Jared Kushner on Monday as the Trump administration intensifies efforts to salvage a stalled Gaza ceasefire and push through a 15-point peace plan that the Israeli prime minister publicly rejected just a week ago.
Kushner, President Trump’s son-in-law and Middle East envoy, held a rare meeting with Hamas leaders in Egypt on Sunday in a two-hour session aimed at securing the group’s commitment to the disarmament roadmap before confronting Netanyahu’s objections. Hamas political leader Khalil al-Hayya attended the talks alongside mediators from Egypt, Qatar, and Turkey, as well as Board of Peace director Nickolay Mladenov and former British Prime Minister Tony Blair.
The diplomatic push follows Netanyahu’s rejection on August 9 of Trump’s latest Gaza roadmap, which calls for Hamas to gradually disarm while Israeli forces withdraw from the enclave. “Israel does not accept the 15-point document,” Netanyahu said at a cabinet meeting, insisting that Israeli forces will not leave Gaza until Hamas is “genuinely” disarmed. The statement marked a rare public break between Netanyahu and the Trump administration, Israel’s closest ally.
The stakes are enormous. A ceasefire agreement reached in October 2025 halted major fighting and led to hostage releases, but has deteriorated into a stalemate over implementation. According to Palestinian sources, at least 1,250 Palestinians have been killed in Gaza since the ceasefire took effect, with Israeli forces resuming air strikes in recent days despite the supposed truce. Israel now controls approximately 60 to 70 percent of Gaza, having gradually expanded its footprint beyond the “yellow line” that originally demarcated its withdrawal boundary.
Hamas, by contrast, signaled its acceptance of the 15-point roadmap in late July, viewing it as a path to end the conflict and begin reconstruction. On Sunday, after meeting with Kushner, Hamas called on mediators and the Board of Peace to “compel” Israel to implement the plan, stating that it “fully adhered to the first phase” while Israel “failed” and “explicitly rejected the roadmap.”
Regional Pressure Mounts
Netanyahu faces mounting international pressure. On Sunday, the foreign ministers of eight nations—Egypt, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Jordan, Indonesia, Pakistan, Turkey, and Saudi Arabia—issued a joint statement condemning Israel’s rejection of the plan, declaring that “Israel now bears responsibility for obstructing the efforts to bring peace in Gaza.” They called on Washington and the Board of Peace to take “immediate and concrete measures” to enforce compliance.
The roadmap envisions a phased approach: Hamas would surrender weapons to a Palestinian technocratic committee designated to oversee Gaza’s administration, while Israeli forces halt attacks and begin withdrawing. However, Netanyahu maintains that Israel will not pull back from any position until Hamas is fully disarmed—a condition Hamas has said it will meet only after Israel withdraws and a Palestinian state is established, terms Netanyahu’s government rejects.
This impasse has frozen other critical components of the ceasefire, including reconstruction efforts and the deployment of an International Stabilisation Force to separate Israeli troops from Palestinian-administered areas. Netanyahu faces a challenging October 27 election, with hardline coalition partners opposing any Gaza withdrawal. The political timeline also overlaps with the upcoming anniversary of the October 7, 2023, Hamas-led attack that triggered the war, making domestic political pressure acute.
The meeting between Kushner and Netanyahu on Monday will test whether the Trump administration can bridge a widening gap between Israeli demands and the international roadmap. Kushner’s visit also includes meetings with Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi, who has been central to mediating the ceasefire. If Monday’s talks fail to move Netanyahu, the entire second phase of the Gaza agreement—and hopes for lasting peace—may collapse.
Sources
- Al Jazeera — Kushner’s meeting with Hamas leaders in Egypt on August 16, Hamas’s acceptance of the roadmap, and regional foreign ministers’ condemnation of Israel’s rejection
- The Independent — Kushner’s scheduled Monday meeting with Netanyahu, Hamas leader Khalil al-Hayya’s attendance at Sunday’s talks, and details of the 15-point roadmap
- Reuters — Netanyahu’s August 9 rejection of Trump’s 15-point Gaza plan
- NPR — Netanyahu’s statement that Israeli forces will not withdraw until Hamas is disarmed
- The Guardian — Netanyahu’s public rejection of the US-backed 15-point plan on August 9
