Trump's Son-in-Law Meets Netanyahu, No Breakthrough on Gaza

Jared Kushner, envoy and son-in-law of United States President Donald Trump, left Jerusalem on Monday (17/8) without bringing a breakthrough in efforts to end the war in Gaza. Over two days, he held talks with Israeli and Hamas leaders, but both sides remained entrenched in their respective demands.

Kushner met Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu a day after holding a meeting with Hamas’s political leadership in Egypt. The meeting took place amid efforts to revive the US peace plan, which remains at an impasse. On the ground, Israel continued to launch air strikes and expand its control of territory in Gaza, while Hamas continued to refuse to disarm.

Speaking to Fox News, Kushner described his nearly four-hour meeting with Netanyahu as ‘good’. He also said Hamas representatives had conveyed ‘the right things’. ‘We may see progress, you know, in as little as 30 days, hopefully starting to draw down some of the weapons and, hopefully, you know, close some of the tunnels within the next 60 to 90 days,’ Kushner told Fox News.

Previously, Trump announced that Hamas had agreed to a phased disarmament based on a 15-point roadmap drawn up by the Peace Council. The plan also includes the withdrawal of Israeli forces from Gaza. Hamas stated that it accepted the roadmap, but stressed that its implementation depends on Israel first fulfilling its commitments, including halting military attacks and withdrawing troops from Gaza.

Amid the process, the office of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu stated that Netanyahu and representatives of the Peace Council had held ‘in-depth and constructive’ talks in Jerusalem on Monday (17/08). ‘It was agreed to establish two working groups, one on the disarmament and demilitarisation of Gaza, which Israel and the Peace Council believe must be implemented immediately and completed before any reconstruction takes place in Gaza,’ Netanyahu’s office said in a statement seen by Tania Krmer of DW in Jerusalem. ‘The second working group will focus on sanitation, clean water, and other public health issues for Gaza residents, which also affect Israeli citizens,’ it added.

AFP quoted an Israeli official as saying that Netanyahu also requested a US general to oversee the process of Hamas handing over weapons. The mechanism for Hamas’s demilitarisation, the timetable for its implementation, and the fate of weapons surrendered so far remain among the issues under debate in the talks. Meanwhile, Reuters news agency quoted a Peace Council official who described the meeting with Netanyahu as ‘long, in-depth, and highly productive’. The unnamed official said the parties had reached agreement on next steps, though no further details were provided. To date, the Peace Council has not issued an official public statement.

Amid the Netanyahu-Kushner meeting, Israeli National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir drew renewed attention after calling for the killing of more Palestinians through operations he described as ‘targeted killings’. The far-right politician made the remarks in a podcast with a former Gaza hostage broadcast on Saturday (15/08) evening. ‘I think targeted killings should be carried out in Gaza, eliminating 30 to 40 people every night,’ he said, stressing that he was not referring only to members of militant groups. ‘Not only those who pose a direct threat; there are people there who do not deserve to live. They should not live. They are not even human.’

Ben-Gvir is chairman of the Otzma Yehudit (Jewish Power) party and a member of Netanyahu’s cabinet. However, he has been known to oppose several of Netanyahu’s plans regarding the management of Gaza after the war ends. Ben-Gvir’s remarks drew immediate condemnation from Iran. Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Kazem Gharibabadi responded to the remarks in a social media post on Monday (17/08) morning. ‘This Zionist criminal speaks simultaneously of expelling Palestinians and building settlements throughout the Gaza Strip,’ Gharibabadi wrote. ‘These confessions must be recorded and preserved for the day of reckoning and for the trial of these criminals.’

Previously, similar statements from Ben-Gvir and several other Israeli officials were submitted to the International Court of Justice (ICJ) as part of arguments alleging genocidal intent against Palestinians in Gaza. Israel denies the allegations and maintains that its military operations cannot be categorised as genocide.