Hamas leaders told presidential adviser Jared Kushner during a rare direct meeting in Egypt that they remain committed to demilitarizing Gaza as the Trump administration presses both Hamas and Israel to advance the next phase of its 20-point peace plan.
By yourNEWS Media Newsroom
Hamas leaders told President Donald Trump’s adviser Jared Kushner during a rare face-to-face meeting Sunday in Egypt that the group still intends to demilitarize Gaza, according to a report citing people familiar with the talks.
The meeting gave Kushner an opportunity to directly question Hamas officials about how they intend to carry out disarmament, a central requirement of the U.S.-backed plan for Gaza.
Kushner also warned Hamas that Israel remains skeptical that the group will ultimately surrender its weapons, Axios reported, citing unnamed sources.
The discussions come as the White House and Trump’s Board of Peace push both Hamas and Israel to move into the next stage of the administration’s 20-point peace plan.
Demilitarization is only one component of that framework.
The plan also calls for Hamas and Israel to carry out a complex sequence of reciprocal steps, with each side’s actions independently verified as the process unfolds.
Those corresponding measures are expected to take approximately seven to eight months to complete.
Sunday’s meeting was notable because of the direct contact between Kushner and Hamas leadership as the administration seeks more concrete commitments over the future security structure of Gaza.
By meeting Hamas officials personally, Kushner was able to press the group for details beyond a general promise to demilitarize and raise Israel’s concerns about whether such commitments can be trusted.
The next diplomatic focus is expected to shift to Israel.
Kushner is scheduled to meet Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Monday to discuss the “corresponding steps” Israel would be required to take as Hamas proceeds with its obligations under the U.S. framework.
The structure of the plan requires movement from both sides rather than unilateral action, with Israeli measures linked to verified steps taken by Hamas and vice versa.
The White House and Board of Peace are now attempting to translate those commitments into an extended implementation process lasting most of the coming year.
Hamas’ renewed statement that it intends to demilitarize represents an important element of that effort, but Israel’s doubts over whether the organization will actually relinquish its weapons remain a major obstacle.
Kushner’s meetings with Hamas in Egypt and Netanyahu in Israel are therefore centered on the same challenge: establishing a sequence of verifiable actions that both sides are willing to carry out under the Trump administration’s peace plan.
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