{"id":37235,"date":"2026-08-17T09:00:46","date_gmt":"2026-08-17T06:00:46","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.ir-ia.com\/news\/?p=37235"},"modified":"2026-08-17T09:00:54","modified_gmt":"2026-08-17T06:00:54","slug":"trumps-envoy-kushner-meets-hamas-chief-in-egypt-as-us-pushes-gaza-peace-plan","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.ir-ia.com\/news\/trumps-envoy-kushner-meets-hamas-chief-in-egypt-as-us-pushes-gaza-peace-plan\/","title":{"rendered":"Trump\u2019s envoy Kushner meets Hamas chief in Egypt as US pushes Gaza peace plan"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><em>6 minute read<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>U.S. President Donald Trump&#8217;s envoy Jared Kushner met Hamas political leader Khalil Al Hayya in Egypt on August 16, 2026, as Washington stepped up diplomatic efforts to revive a U.S.-backed roadmap aimed at ending the war in Gaza and resolving a deadlock over Hamas\u2019 disarmament and the withdrawal of Israeli forces.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The meeting came ahead of Kushner\u2019s planned visit to Israel, where he is to meet Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. The talks in Egypt are part of a broader U.S. effort to secure support for a 15-point roadmap backed by U.S. President Donald Trump but rejected by Netanyahu.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Kushner\u2019s meeting with Al Hayya was held alongside officials from Egypt, Qatar and Turkiye, which have been involved in mediation efforts. Hamas representatives had already arrived in Egypt for discussions with Egyptian officials, while Kushner met Egyptian President Abdel Fattah Al Sisi and other senior officials.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><br><strong>Efforts to Revive Roadmap<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The U.S.-backed plan seeks to establish a framework for ending the conflict and moving toward the reconstruction and governance of Gaza. Its main elements include a halt to hostilities, the disarmament of Hamas, a gradual Israeli military withdrawal and the transfer of day-to-day administration of Gaza to a new Palestinian civilian body.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The roadmap has stalled largely because Hamas and Israel disagree over the sequence and conditions for implementation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Hamas has indicated that it is prepared to surrender its weapons to a Palestinian technocratic committee intended to oversee the territory\u2019s administration. However, the group has linked the surrender of its heavier weapons to broader political arrangements, including the establishment of a Palestinian state.<br><\/p>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\"><p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\" lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">Today, the Board of Peace reached a HISTORIC agreement for the COMPLETE DISARMAMENT of Hamas and all other armed groups in Gaza. <br><br>A monumental step toward lasting PEACE and SECURITY. <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/RYUKUdrwIJ\">pic.twitter.com\/RYUKUdrwIJ<\/a><\/p>&mdash; The White House (@WhiteHouse) <a href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/WhiteHouse\/status\/2082971225949638708?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">July 30, 2026<\/a><\/blockquote> <script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.x.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><br>Israel has taken a different position, insisting that Hamas must be completely disarmed before Israeli forces withdraw from Gaza.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The disagreement has prevented the next stage of the roadmap from moving forward and has also delayed plans for reconstruction and the deployment of international forces intended to help separate Israeli forces from areas administered by the Palestinian committee.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Hamas has also demanded that Israel halt its attacks and withdraw its forces to the so-called \u201cyellow line\u201d before implementation begins. Hamas officials have said the group is ready to proceed with the agreement if Israel commits to its obligations.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><br><strong>Netanyahu Rejects US-backed Plan<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The diplomatic effort comes after Netanyahu publicly rejected the 15-point roadmap last week, creating an unusual disagreement between the Israeli government and the Trump administration.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Netanyahu has said Israeli forces \u201cwill not carry out any withdrawal until Hamas is genuinely disarmed,\u201d making the issue of Hamas\u2019 weapons the central obstacle to the proposed arrangement.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Israeli forces currently control a significant portion of Gaza, while attacks have continued despite the ceasefire that ended the main phase of military operations.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The continued violence has added urgency to the diplomatic efforts. Palestinian officials said Israeli attacks on Saturday killed two people and wounded 14 others.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Palestinian sources have reported that more than 1,250 Palestinians have been killed in Gaza by Israeli fire since the ceasefire took effect in October, while the overall Palestinian death toll since the start of the war in October 2023 has exceeded 73,300.<\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"alignleft size-large is-resized\"><a href=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.ir-ia.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/US-Board-of-Peace-Trump-scaled.jpg?ssl=1\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1016\" height=\"627\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.ir-ia.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/US-Board-of-Peace-Trump.jpg?resize=1016%2C627&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"U.S. President Donald Trump participates in a Board of Peace meeting at the Donald J. Trump Institute of Peace\" class=\"wp-image-37239\" style=\"width:840px\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.ir-ia.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/US-Board-of-Peace-Trump-scaled.jpg?resize=1024%2C632&amp;ssl=1 1024w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.ir-ia.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/US-Board-of-Peace-Trump-scaled.jpg?resize=300%2C185&amp;ssl=1 300w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.ir-ia.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/US-Board-of-Peace-Trump-scaled.jpg?resize=768%2C474&amp;ssl=1 768w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.ir-ia.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/US-Board-of-Peace-Trump-scaled.jpg?resize=1536%2C948&amp;ssl=1 1536w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.ir-ia.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/US-Board-of-Peace-Trump-scaled.jpg?resize=2048%2C1264&amp;ssl=1 2048w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1016px) 100vw, 1016px\" \/><\/a><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\"><em><sup>U.S. President Donald Trump participates in a Board of Peace meeting at the Donald J. Trump Institute of Peace on February 19, 2026. (Image Credit: The White House)<\/sup><\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The situation has also raised concerns over the future of Gaza, where nearly 2 million people face the challenge of rebuilding an enclave heavily damaged by the conflict.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><br><strong>Regional Pressure on Israel<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The U.S. diplomatic push has received backing from several regional countries that have urged the parties to implement the roadmap.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Jordan, Pakistan, Indonesia, T\u00fcrkiye, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates issued a joint statement on Sunday condemning Israel\u2019s rejection of the plan and calling for immediate steps to prevent obstacles to its implementation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The countries said Israel\u2019s rejection of the roadmap was undermining efforts to achieve a lasting peace in Gaza and called on the U.S. and the Board of Peace, the body overseeing the proposed ceasefire framework, to take concrete measures to ensure that the plan can move forward.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The regional statement adds pressure on Netanyahu ahead of his meeting with Kushner and other U.S. officials.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Kushner is expected to be joined in the discussions by former British Prime Minister Tony Blair and Nikolay Mladenov, the Board of Peace\u2019s high representative for Gaza. Mladenov has also been involved in efforts to establish the proposed Palestinian administrative structure.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><br><strong>Disarmament Remains Obstacle<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The most difficult issue remains the question of Hamas\u2019 weapons and the timing of an Israeli withdrawal.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Under the proposed roadmap, Hamas would gradually hand over its weapons to a Palestinian technocratic committee that would assume responsibility for Gaza\u2019s civilian administration. In parallel, Israeli forces would halt attacks and begin withdrawing from the territory.<\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"alignleft size-large is-resized\"><a href=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.ir-ia.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/Gaza-destruction-drone-view.jpg?ssl=1\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1016\" height=\"620\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.ir-ia.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/Gaza-destruction-drone-view.jpg?resize=1016%2C620&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"A drone view shows the destruction in a residential neighborhood in Gaza City\" class=\"wp-image-32216\" style=\"width:840px\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.ir-ia.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/Gaza-destruction-drone-view.jpg?resize=1024%2C625&amp;ssl=1 1024w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.ir-ia.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/Gaza-destruction-drone-view.jpg?resize=300%2C183&amp;ssl=1 300w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.ir-ia.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/Gaza-destruction-drone-view.jpg?resize=768%2C468&amp;ssl=1 768w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.ir-ia.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/Gaza-destruction-drone-view.jpg?w=1200&amp;ssl=1 1200w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1016px) 100vw, 1016px\" \/><\/a><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\"><em><sup>A drone view shows the destruction in a residential neighbourhood, amid a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas in Gaza, in Gaza City, on October 19, 2025. (Image Credit: Reuters\/Dawoud Abu Alkas)<\/sup><\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Hamas, however, has argued that the process must be accompanied by clear Israeli commitments to stop military operations and withdraw its forces. The group has also tied the issue of its heavier weapons to the broader question of Palestinian statehood.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Israel has rejected that sequencing, maintaining that its forces cannot withdraw before Hamas has been fully disarmed. The disagreement has effectively placed other elements of the proposed agreement on hold. These include reconstruction, the establishment of the new Palestinian administration and the possible deployment of international forces.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The next stage of negotiations could therefore determine whether the roadmap becomes a workable framework or remains stalled.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><br><strong>Kushner Heads to Israel<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Kushner\u2019s meeting with Al Hayya is intended to establish Hamas\u2019 commitment to the roadmap before the U.S. delegation travels to Israel.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Hamas officials have said they are prepared to begin negotiations on an implementation timetable once all parties approve the roadmap. They have also called on Egypt, Qatar, T\u00fcrkiye and the United States to pressure Israel to comply with the proposed arrangements.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The talks in Egypt therefore represent an effort to bridge the positions of the two sides before Kushner meets Netanyahu.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The outcome of those discussions could have significant consequences for the future of the Gaza ceasefire, the withdrawal of Israeli forces and the reconstruction of the territory.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">With Hamas expressing willingness to move forward under certain conditions and Netanyahu insisting on complete disarmament before any withdrawal, Washington faces a difficult task in reconciling the two positions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Kushner\u2019s meetings in Egypt and Israel are consequently expected to test whether the Trump administration can overcome the central dispute that has kept the Gaza peace roadmap from moving into its next phase.<\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"alignleft size-large is-resized\"><a href=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.ir-ia.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/Israeli-soldiers-tanks-in-Gaza.jpg?ssl=1\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1016\" height=\"678\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.ir-ia.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/Israeli-soldiers-tanks-in-Gaza.jpg?resize=1016%2C678&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"Israeli soldiers stand next to tanks near the Israel-Gaza border, in Israel\" class=\"wp-image-32215\" style=\"width:840px\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.ir-ia.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/Israeli-soldiers-tanks-in-Gaza.jpg?resize=1024%2C683&amp;ssl=1 1024w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.ir-ia.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/Israeli-soldiers-tanks-in-Gaza.jpg?resize=300%2C200&amp;ssl=1 300w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.ir-ia.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/Israeli-soldiers-tanks-in-Gaza.jpg?resize=768%2C512&amp;ssl=1 768w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.ir-ia.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/Israeli-soldiers-tanks-in-Gaza.jpg?resize=589%2C392&amp;ssl=1 589w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.ir-ia.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/Israeli-soldiers-tanks-in-Gaza.jpg?w=1200&amp;ssl=1 1200w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1016px) 100vw, 1016px\" \/><\/a><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\"><em><sup>Israeli soldiers stand next to tanks near the Israel-Gaza border, in Israel, on October 19, 2025. (Image Credit: Reuters\/Amir Cohen)<\/sup><\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>U.S. President Donald Trump&#8217;s envoy Jared Kushner met Hamas political leader Khalil Al Hayya in Egypt on August 16, 2026, as Washington stepped up diplomatic efforts to revive a U.S.-backed roadmap aimed at ending the war in Gaza and resolving a deadlock over Hamas\u2019 disarmament and the withdrawal of Israeli forces.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":37240,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_feature_clip_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2},"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[44,1,125],"tags":[75,78,92,93,60,26,5,27,49,71,113,702,7,63],"class_list":["post-37235","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-middle-east","category-news","category-united-states","tag-conflict","tag-egypt","tag-gaza","tag-hamas","tag-humanitarian-crisis","tag-israel","tag-military","tag-palestine","tag-peace","tag-politics","tag-security","tag-trump","tag-u-s","tag-weapons"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p7jJWb-9Gz","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.ir-ia.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/US-Kushner-Egypt-Sisi.jpg?fit=690%2C370&ssl=1","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.ir-ia.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/37235","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.ir-ia.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.ir-ia.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ir-ia.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ir-ia.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=37235"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.ir-ia.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/37235\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":37242,"href":"https:\/\/www.ir-ia.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/37235\/revisions\/37242"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ir-ia.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/37240"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.ir-ia.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=37235"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ir-ia.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=37235"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ir-ia.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=37235"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}