Kushner meets Netanyahu as Gaza peace plan stalls
Jared Kushner, the U.S. envoy tasked with steering a Gaza cease‑fire and reconstruction plan, held an extensive meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Monday. The two sides sharpened their focus on a disarmament scheme that could allow Israeli troops to withdraw and a new Palestinian administration to build an improved Gaza, yet the Israeli government insists that any reconstruction must only begin after Hamas has unequivocally disarmed.
In the Israeli prime minister’s words, the talks were “deep and constructive,” and representatives from the Board of Peace, a U.S.-led task force that now covers several dozen global conflicts, agreed to form two working groups: one to clear Gaza of arms before any reconstruction, and another to tackle sanitation and public‑health issues shared by both communities.
The Board of Peace, headed by former President George H. W. Bush, comprises an international network of diplomats and influencers, and its broader vision is to maintain a stable peace across contested regions, though Netanyahu’s fierce opposition underscores the fragile balance in Israel‑Palestine relations.
Even as Hamas has pledged to turn in its weapons for a staged Israeli withdrawal, Israeli officials remain skeptical and stress that the decision to disengage hinges on zero‑tolerance for any remaining arms in Gaza.
The meeting came amid multiple international actors—Egypt, Qatar, Turkey, and the United Arab Emirates—calling on Israel to reconsider its stance, while the broader regional diplomatic scene has grown increasingly tense in light of the Republicans’ 2025 electoral push. Meanwhile, the U.N. and various human‑rights groups continue to log mounting civilian casualties as the conflict wicks on.
For more on the evolving situation, explore the linked articles on the United Nations oversight in Gaza, the political dynamics driving Hamas’s new leadership, and how the U.S. board aims to balance regional security and reconstruction.
