Jared Kushner, a former White House advisor and envoy for the Trump administration, met with a Hamas leader in Cairo to discuss a potential peace plan for Gaza. The meeting, which also included Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, comes amid ongoing tensions and following Israel's recent rejection of a peace proposal put forth by former President Donald Trump.
Kushner, alongside officials like Nickolay Mladenov and Tony Blair, was reportedly scheduled to meet with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to further advance Trump's peace initiative. However, Netanyahu has previously stated that Israel will not carry out any withdrawal from Gaza until Hamas is disarmed, a stance that has defied U.S. calls for a de-escalation.
Last week, Israel rejected a 15-point document on Gaza presented by what Israeli media referred to as the "Board of Peace." This rejection has drawn criticism from several nations. In a joint statement, Egypt, UAE, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Turkey, Pakistan, and Indonesia expressed concern that Israel's refusal to consider the U.S. plan jeopardizes peace efforts in the region.
The current ceasefire in Gaza, which began on October 10 of the previous year, remains in effect. Despite this, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) have conducted strikes in Gaza, including in Khan Yunis and Nuseirat, citing Hamas's alleged violations of the truce.
The conflict originated from a Hamas-led attack on southern Israel on October 7, 2023, which resulted in approximately 1,200 fatalities and the abduction of 251 individuals. In response, Israel initiated a military operation in Gaza. According to the Gaza health ministry, cited by the UN as reliable, the offensive has led to over 73,000 deaths. The United Nations estimates that approximately 1.9 million people, or 90% of Gaza's population, have been displaced since the conflict began.