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Kushner meets Netanyahu
U.S. President Donald Trump's envoy and son-in-law Jared Kushner met Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in Jerusalem on Monday after holding a rare meeting with Hamas' leader in Cairo on Sunday to push forward the U.S. president's Gaza plan.
“Kushner met with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in Jerusalem”
Reuters said Netanyahu publicly rejected this month a U.S.-backed agreement that would see Hamas surrender its arms in exchange for Israel withdrawing from Gaza, and it reported that Kushner was joined in Jerusalem by Nickolay Mladenov, Trump's Board of Peace envoy for Gaza.
NBC News reported that Kushner met with a delegation led by Hamas chief Khalil al-Hayya in Cairo on Sunday, with details of the Netanyahu meeting not immediately clear.
The BBC said Kushner arrived in Israel after holding talks with Hamas to discuss the implementation of the U.S.-backed Gaza peace plan on Sunday, and it noted that Israel rejected Trump's 15-point plan last week.
In the same Reuters account, diplomats said Israel is unlikely to make any major concessions over Gaza ahead of the October 27 election, as Israel continued strikes on Gaza despite agreeing to a ceasefire as part of Trump's plan.
Ben-Gvir calls for killings
As Kushner prepared to meet Netanyahu, NBC News reported that Powerful National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir condemned efforts toward peace and called for the “targeted” killing of “30 or 40” people in Gaza every night.
NBC News also quoted Ben-Gvir saying, “I think we need to carry out targeted killings in Gaza — take out 30 or 40 every night,” and it added that he described people in Gaza as “not human beings.”
The BBC reported that Hamas later called on mediators and the Board of Peace to "compel" Israel to approve the roadmap for the next steps, while Netanyahu said Israel would not carry out any withdrawal until Hamas is “genuinely disarmed.”
Reuters said Netanyahu’s ruling coalition is trailing in Israeli opinion polls ahead of an October national election, and it reported that there has been little progress with Israel continuing strikes on Gaza despite agreeing to a ceasefire as part of Trump's plan.
In parallel, the BBC said eight Muslim countries issued a statement on Sunday condemning Israel's rejection of the road map, and it described skepticism among many Israelis that Hamas is ready to disarm.
Roadmap stakes and next steps
NPR reported that at stake are the lives of some 2 million people in Gaza and the reconstruction of the crowded enclave now largely controlled by Israeli forces, more than 10 months since the ceasefire ended major military operations.
“At stake are the lives of some 2 million people in Gaza”
NPR said Kushner’s meeting with Hamas chief Khalil al-Hayya in Egypt aimed to salvage the new 15-point, U.S.-backed road map for Hamas to disarm in Gaza and Israel to withdraw, and it described a 14-day negotiation period requiring all parties' approval to begin.
The Washington Post described Kushner’s rare meeting with Hamas on Sunday in Egypt as an effort to advance a fragile U.S.-backed peace deal for Gaza that was met with opposition from Israel.
Reuters reported that Trump had said the agreement would be carried out in phases, with Israeli forces withdrawing from Gaza as disarmament proceeded and an 'International Stabilization Force' worked with a new Palestinian police force to secure the territory.
In the Reuters account, Hamas said it agreed to the plan but implementation would depend on Israel first meeting its own commitments, including withdrawal and halting attacks, leaving reconstruction and other elements of the ceasefire plan tied to whether disarmament and withdrawal move forward.
