U.S. negotiator Jared Kushner met Sunday with Hamas chief Khalil al-Hayya in Egypt, a rare diplomatic engagement aimed at salvaging a stalled Gaza ceasefire and advancing a 15-point U.S.-backed roadmap. Kushner, along with fellow envoy Steve Witkoff and officials from mediating nations Egypt, Qatar, and Turkey, participated in the talks with al-Hayya.
The roadmap proposes Hamas disarm in Gaza while Israel withdraws from the Palestinian territory. The stalled ceasefire's progress has been hindered by disputes over Hamas' disarmament.
Kushner is scheduled to meet with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Monday. Also expected at the meeting are former British prime minister Tony Blair and Nickolay Mladenov, director of the U.S.-created Board of Peace overseeing the ceasefire.
Last week, Netanyahu publicly rejected the 15-point plan. In response to Israel's rejection, several regional powers, including Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, issued a joint statement condemning the decision and stating that "Israel now bears responsibility for obstructing the efforts to bring peace in Gaza." Jordan, Pakistan, Indonesia, and the ceasefire mediators also signed the statement, calling on the Board of Peace and the U.S. to take "immediate and concrete measures" to prevent any party from obstructing the plan's implementation.
Regional officials confirmed Kushner's meeting with al-Hayya was intended to secure Hamas' commitment to the roadmap, particularly disarmament, before the meeting with Netanyahu. A Hamas official stated the group is committed and awaiting mediators to initiate a 14-day negotiation period for an implementation timetable, which requires approval from all parties.
The Hamas official also conveyed that the group demands Israel halt its attacks on Gaza and withdraw to the "yellow line" before implementation begins. Israeli forces currently control approximately 60% of Gaza, having moved beyond this undefined boundary.
Under the roadmap, Hamas would transfer its weapons to a Palestinian technocratic committee tasked with overseeing daily operations in Gaza. This committee has not yet entered the territory. Hamas has linked the surrender of its heavy weaponry to the creation of a Palestinian state, a condition the current Israeli government rejects.
Netanyahu faces an election on Oct. 27 and leads a coalition that includes ministers advocating for a hardline approach to Gaza. The anniversary of the Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas-led attack on southern Israel, which triggered the ongoing conflict, is also approaching.
Netanyahu's Likud party issued a statement on Sunday suggesting that Arab states aim to oust Netanyahu to empower centrist challenger Gadi Eisenkot and center-left party leader Yair Golan, who they claim would concede to Arab demands. The party asserted this would not happen.