Gaza Talks Persist Over Disarmament Conditions

U.S. envoy Jared Kushner and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu held marathon talks in Jerusalem and Egypt with Hamas to move a US-backed Gaza ceasefire plan forward, but no breakthrough was reached. The discussions produced two working groups—one on Gaza’s disarmament and one on public health and humanitarian needs—while Netanyahu reiterated that any Israeli withdrawal hinges on Hamas’s disarmament, a linkage Hamas has resisted. Netanyahu formally rejected the 15-point roadmap and signaled he would not withdraw until Hamas is fully disarmed, even as Hamas publicly supported the plan and urged pressure from the U.S. and mediators. An AUS-backed framework is under consideration, with officials hinting at a wholesale disarmament option or sector-by-sector demilitarization, potentially prompting a full pullback only after verification. Netanyahu’s office called the talks deep and constructive, with Blair and Mladenov noting the need for sequencing progress, and Trump’s administration remaining hopeful but uncertain about resolving core disputes before Israel’s elections. Hamas and Israeli officials remain locked on the sequence of disarmament, withdrawal, and reconstruction, with timing and verification debated amid the Board of Peace weighing new approaches.