US President Donald Trump’s Middle East envoy Jared Kushner has held rare talks with senior Hamas officials in Egypt as Washington seeks to advance its proposed peace plan for Gaza.
A Palestinian official told the BBC that Kushner met a Hamas delegation led by the group’s new leader, Khalil al-Hayya, in Egypt on Sunday.
The meeting is believed to be the first high-level engagement between US representatives and Hamas since a ceasefire agreement was reached in Gaza last year.
Kushner was reportedly accompanied by Board of Peace envoys Nickolay Mladenov and former UK Prime Minister Tony Blair. Representatives from Egypt, Qatar and Turkey, which have played key roles in mediating the conflict, also took part in the discussions.
The talks reportedly focused on practical steps towards implementing Trump’s plan, including the proposed disarmament of Hamas and other armed groups, the withdrawal of Israeli troops from Gaza and humanitarian assistance.
Last month, Trump’s Board of Peace said it had reached an agreement for the “complete disarmament” of Hamas and other armed groups operating in Gaza.
However, Israel has rejected Trump’s 15-point proposal, which also calls for Israeli forces to withdraw and for Gaza to be rebuilt under a new civilian Palestinian administration.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has insisted that Hamas must first be fully disarmed before any Israeli military withdrawal takes place.
“Israel rejects the Board of Peace's 15-point document on Gaza. The IDF will not carry out any withdrawal until Hamas is genuinely disarmed,” Netanyahu said last week.
The disagreement has placed pressure on Washington’s efforts to move the peace process forward.
On Sunday, Egypt, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Turkey, Pakistan and Indonesia issued a joint statement criticising Israel’s rejection of the US proposal. The eight countries said the decision threatened Trump’s efforts to secure peace in Gaza.
Trump leads the Board of Peace, an international organisation initially created to pursue peace in Gaza before expanding its mandate to other conflicts.
While in Egypt, Kushner also met President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi. Reports in Israeli media said Kushner, Mladenov and Blair were expected to meet Netanyahu on Monday in an effort to advance the US proposal.
The diplomatic efforts are taking place despite continuing tensions around the Gaza ceasefire, which came into effect on October 10 last year.
The Israel Defense Forces have carried out several strikes in Gaza since the ceasefire began, including recent operations in the Khan Yunis and Nuseirat areas. Israel has accused Hamas of violating the truce.
The conflict began after the Hamas-led attack on southern Israel on October 7, 2023, in which about 1,200 people were killed and 251 others were taken hostage.
Israel subsequently launched a military campaign in Gaza. More than 73,000 people have since been killed, according to Gaza’s health ministry, whose figures are considered reliable by the United Nations.
The UN estimates that about 1.9 million people, equivalent to 90% of Gaza’s population, have been displaced since the war began.