On Sunday, the national envoy and son-in-law of President Trump Jared Kushner met with Hamas leader Khalil al-Hayya in Cairo in hopes of advancing the US-backed 15-point Gaza peace plan which was recently accepted by Hamas but rejected by Israel.
The plan, designed to operate in phases, would require the immediate cessation of military operations by both Hamas and Israel.
Israel would eventually permanently leave the Gaza Strip, enabling Palestinian governance, and “a credible political path that achieves self-determination and Statehood.” Hamas would also be required to hand over all security and civilian functions to the National Committee for the Administration of Gaza (NCAG). The NCAG would continue to maintain all public services.
The plan also stipulates that Gaza would be governed by the One Authority, One Law, One Weapon principle, meaning only a single recognized government entity would be recognized as having legitimate law and authority. Only the NCAG would be permitted to hold weapons in Gaza and would enforce any Palestinian law regarding the possession of personal weapons, overseeing registration and issuance and revocation of licenses.
Hamas had previously approved of this plan, but Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu rejected it, wanting a complete disarmament from Hamas before Israel withdraws, as opposed to the outlined plan stipulating reciprocal, phased disarmament and withdrawal.
“As long as I am Prime Minister, no Palestinian state will be established—not in Gaza and not in the West Bank,” he added.
Jared Kushner met with Benjamin Netanyahu and his team for nearly four hours, calling the meeting “really good” while acknowledging that they raised “valid concerns” about the Gaza roadmap.
— Shadow of Ezra (@ShadowofEzra) August 18, 2026
He warned that reconstruction will not move forward until demilitarization begins, with… pic.twitter.com/svskj14vE1
Following his meeting with al-Hayya, Kushner traveled to Jerusalem to meet with Netanyahu the next day alongside with former British prime minister Tony Blair and the Board of Peace director, Nickolay Mladenov. Israel is under pressure from many regional countries to accept the plan, including Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Jordan, Pakistan, and Indonesia.
Kushner met with Hamas only one other time in October 2025 along with US envoy Steve Witkoff to help negotiate the ceasefire between Hamas and Israel and get the Israeli hostages released.
Kushner and Witkoff were also working together on a $112.1 billion plan called “Project Sunrise” to turn Gaza into a luxury resort destination complete with beachfront hotels and a high-speed rail.
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