Jared Kushner holds a rare meeting with Hamas chief over stalled Gaza ceasefire

In a renewed diplomatic effort to advance the stalled Gaza ceasefire, U.S. negotiator and President Donald Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner held a rare meeting with the Hamas chief on Sunday.

Kushner is slated to meet with Israel’s prime minister on Monday in discussions aimed at saving a 15-point, U.S.-backed roadmap that requires Hamas to disarm in Gaza and Israel to pull back its forces from the war-torn Palestinian territory.

At stake is the survival of approximately 2 million people in Gaza and the rebuilding of the densely populated enclave, which remains mostly under the control of Israeli forces more than 10 months after the ceasefire halted major military operations. A meeting last year between Kushner, fellow envoy Steve Witkoff, and Hamas leaders in Egypt helped secure the original ceasefire, which has since stalled over the key requirement of Hamas’ disarmament.

Confirmation of the rare meeting in Egypt with Hamas’ Khalil al-Hayya came from a regional official and a Hamas official, both speaking on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to address reporters. Kushner belonged to a three-member envoy delegation meeting al-Hayya, alongside mediating officials from Egypt, Qatar, and Turkey.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu publicly rejected the 15-point roadmap last week in a rare show of defiance toward the Trump administration, Israel’s chief ally.

Kushner, former British prime minister Tony Blair, and Nickolay Mladenov—director of the U.S.-established Board of Peace overseeing the ceasefire—are now scheduled to meet with Netanyahu on Monday, according to diplomatic and knowledgeable sources speaking on condition of anonymity.

Ahead of Monday’s talks, several regional powers, including Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, 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.” Other signatories included Jordan, Pakistan, Indonesia, and the ceasefire mediators.

The foreign ministers’ statement also called on the U.S. and the Board of Peace to execute “immediate and concrete measures” to stop any party from blocking the implementation of the plan.

The regional official noted that Kushner’s meeting with the Hamas leader was designed to guarantee the group’s adherence to the roadmap, particularly concerning disarmament, prior to his sitting down with Netanyahu.

A Hamas official stated that the group remains committed and is awaiting mediators to initiate the 14-day negotiation window to establish an implementation schedule. That phase requires all parties to approve the roadmap before starting.

The official added that the Hamas leader insisted Israel cease its attacks on Gaza and pull back to the poorly defined “yellow line” separating the territory before implementation begins. Israeli forces have advanced past that line and currently control around 60% of Gaza.

In May, Netanyahu expressed intentions to expand control to 70%, saying Israel was “tightening the grip” on Hamas “from every direction.”

The White House referred questions regarding Kushner’s discussions to the Board of Peace, which offered no immediate comment. The Tony Blair Institute also declined to comment.

Under the roadmap, Hamas would surrender weapons to a Palestinian technocratic committee designated to oversee daily administration in the enclave. The committee has not yet entered Gaza. However, Hamas has conditioned the surrender of its heaviest arms on the creation of a Palestinian state, a condition rejected by Israel’s government.

The roadmap outlines a gradual surrender of weapons by Hamas while Israeli forces halt attacks and begin withdrawing. Yet Netanyahu maintains Israel will not pull back from any position in Gaza until Hamas is totally disarmed.

This impasse leaves other components of the ceasefire, including reconstruction and the placement of international forces to divide Israeli troops from committee-governed areas, on hold.

Netanyahu faces a challenging Oct. 27 election as he attempts to retain power with a coalition featuring hardline ministers on Gaza policy. The political timeline also overlaps with the upcoming anniversary of the Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas-led attack on southern Israel that triggered the war.

On Sunday, Netanyahu’s Likud party answered the regional powers’ statement by asserting that “Arab states want to topple” Netanyahu so centrist candidate Gadi Eisenkot and center-left leader Yair Golan “will give them everything they want. That will not happen.”