Kushner seeks to revive Gaza peace as Netanyahu resists Hamas disarmament

US envoy Jared Kushner meets Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Monday after talks with Hamas in Egypt, seeking to revive the second phase of a Gaza peace plan stalled over Israel’s demand for the group’s complete disarmament.

Kushner, a key adviser to US President Donald Trump, held talks with Hamas leaders in Egypt on Sunday before travelling to Israel for discussions with Netanyahu and senior officials.

According to sources familiar with the talks, Kushner urged Hamas to take “concrete and verifiable” steps towards disarmament and made clear that the group should have no future role in governing Gaza.

Hamas approved the latest US-backed roadmap in late July but has called on mediators and Trump's Board of Peace to pressure Israel to accept the agreement and set a timetable for implementation.

Netanyahu demands full disarmament

Netanyahu has rejected the proposed second phase, insisting that any agreement must ensure Hamas is “truly disarmed”.

The plan calls for Hamas to give up its weapons and for Israel to withdraw from parts of Gaza. Israeli forces currently remain deployed across more than 60 percent of the territory, according to the sources cited in the reports.

Netanyahu is also expected to meet Nickolay Mladenov, the Board of Peace's senior representative for Gaza, alongside Kushner.

Regional pressure grows

Egypt, Qatar and Türkiye, which have played key mediation roles, joined Jordan, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Pakistan and Indonesia in criticising Israel's rejection of the latest roadmap.

In a joint statement, the eight countries said Israel's position threatened efforts to secure a lasting peace.

Hamas, meanwhile, said it had asked the mediators and Trump's Board of Peace to press Israel to approve the roadmap.

Violence continues despite truce

The diplomatic push comes as violence continues in Gaza despite a ceasefire that began in October 2025.

Palestinian officials reported several people wounded in Israeli strikes and shootings in central and southern Gaza on Sunday. Israel said it was responding to threats from militants linked to Palestinian Islamic Jihad.

According to Gaza's Health Ministry, at least 1,262 Palestinians have been killed since the ceasefire began. The United Nations considers the ministry's figures broadly reliable. Israel says five soldiers and a defence ministry contractor have been killed during the same period.

The renewed diplomatic effort faces a central obstacle: Hamas says it backs the roadmap, while Netanyahu insists that any further progress depends on the group's complete and verifiable disarmament.