Kushner Holds Talks with Hamas Leaders in Egypt to Advance Gaza Peace Efforts

Jared Kushner, U.S. President Donald Trump's son-in-law and Special Envoy for the Middle East, has held talks with Hamas leaders in Egypt as part of efforts to advance peace in the Gaza Strip, according to a Palestinian source on Sunday.

The source said the meeting took place in the Egyptian city of El Alamein and was attended by Hamas political leader Khalil Al-Hayya. Kushner was joined by Egypt’s intelligence chief Hassan Rashad, Qatari diplomat Ali Al-Thawadi, and a senior Turkish official. Nikolay Mladenov, envoy of the peace board established to implement Trump's peace initiative, and former British Prime Minister Tony Blair also participated in the discussions.

During the meeting, Hamas representatives accused Israel of violating the Gaza ceasefire agreement. Kushner reportedly told participants that the United States does not support any plan to relocate Gaza's population elsewhere.

The discussions also focused on maintaining the ceasefire, transferring Gaza’s administrative responsibilities to a national committee, and ensuring that Hamas would have no future role in governing the territory. Hamas was also informed that it would need to relinquish its weapons and military infrastructure.

In a statement, Hamas said it had accepted Trump's peace plan and fully complied with the conditions of the first phase of the ceasefire agreement. The group, however, accused Israel of failing to implement its commitments under the initial phase and called on Israel to fulfill its obligations, halt military operations, and agree to the second phase of the plan.

The United States has long designated Hamas as a terrorist organization and traditionally avoided direct engagement with the group. However, the Trump administration has recently increased contacts with Hamas in an effort to secure a lasting ceasefire in Gaza.

Last week, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu described Trump's peace proposal as "unacceptable." Observers believe Kushner's visits to Israel and Egypt are aimed at narrowing differences over the initiative. An Israeli official said Kushner and Mladenov are scheduled to meet Netanyahu on Monday.

Meanwhile, the foreign ministers of Egypt, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Jordan, Indonesia, Pakistan, Turkey, and Saudi Arabia have criticized Israel's rejection of the proposal and urged Washington to press Israel to comply with the plan.

Israeli military operations in Gaza have continued despite the ceasefire. On Sunday, at least five people were reportedly injured in an airstrike on a tent in Khan Younis. Palestinian sources claim that more than 1,250 Palestinians have been killed in Israeli attacks since the ceasefire came into effect.