Kushner urges Netanyahu to test Hamas disarmament in Gaza
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President Donald Trump's then-senior adviser Jared Kushner and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in 2019. (Photo by ISRAELI PRIME MINISTRY / HANDOUT/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images)
President Trump adviser Jared Kushner told Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Monday that the U.S. wants Israel to take "small steps" in Gaza to test whether Hamas' commitment to start disarming is genuine, a U.S. official said.
Why it matters: The four-hour meeting took place amid deep skepticism from Netanyahu about the U.S. plan for Gaza — and ahead of an October election that makes the Israeli leader reluctant to offer significant concessions on the politically sensitive issue.
- While the meeting helped clarify misunderstandings, addressed some of Netanyahu's concerns and produced a joint understanding on how to move forward, it also crystallized the remaining differences and made clear how difficult near-term progress will be.
Driving the news: Kushner arrived in Israel after meetings in Egypt Sunday with Hamas leaders and with the Egyptian, Qatari and Turkish mediators.
- Kushner brought a delegation to the meeting with Netanyahu that included the High Representative of Trump's Gaza Board of Peace, Nikolay Mladenov, as well as former British Prime Minister Tony Blair and Board of Peace senior advisers Aryeh Lightstone and Liran Tancman.
- During the meeting, Netanyahu expressed deep skepticism about Hamas' commitment to demilitarize and asked Kushner why he met with its leaders in Egypt on Sunday.
- Kushner told Netanyahu it was important to hear from them directly on whether they're willing to move forward with demilitarization, a U.S. official said.
- "The last time Steve Witkoff and I met with Hamas leaders, it led to the release of all the hostages," Kushner told Netanyahu, according to a U.S. official. He was referring to the release last year of the remaining hostages taken in the Oct. 7, 2023 attacks.
The big picture: A U.S. official and another source with knowledge of the meeting said the political atmosphere in Israel ahead of the October election has created significant suspicion on the Israeli side — particularly as the Israeli opposition has attacked Netanyahu for making concessions in Gaza.
- Much of the meeting focused on explaining the Board of Peace plan, clarifying misconceptions and addressing Netanyahu's concerns, the U.S. official and the second source said.
- During the meeting, Netanyahu showed Kushner two public opinion polls. One showed that a majority of Israelis object to the reconstruction of Gaza before the enclave is demilitarized. Another found that most Israelis want to continue strikes against imminent threats in Gaza.
- The U.S. official said Kushner told Netanyahu the U.S. doesn't expect Israel to refrain from taking action against imminent threats by Hamas. He stressed that the plan from Trump's Board of Peace calls for the reconstruction process to begin only after demilitarization is concluded.
Zoom in: Kushner said the demilitarization process would work like this: First, Hamas would hand over its weapons to the Palestinian technocratic government, which would give them to an International Stabilization Force. That force would destroy the weapons, the U.S. official said.
- Netanyahu had the heads of Israeli military intelligence and the Shin Bet intelligence agency brief Kushner and his team on Hamas violations.
Friction point: While Kushner and Netanyahu were meeting, Trump told Fox News that he wants Israel to stop its airstrikes in Gaza.
- A Board of Peace official said Trump was pointing to strikes that are not against imminent threats.
- How to define an imminent threat is a key point of difference between the Board of Peace and the Israeli government. The issue still needs to be addressed, a Board of Peace official said.
- A U.S. official said Kushner and Netanyahu agreed to form a "deconfliction" mechanism in Gaza that would monitor violations and address Israeli concerns about emerging threats to prevent escalation on the ground. Egyptian mediators would be involved, the U.S. official said.
- "If the Israelis see Hamas doing something that could be an emerging threat, they will report it to the deconfliction mechanism and it will bring it up with Hamas. This way Hamas will know we are watching them," the U.S. official said.
Zoom out: The U.S. official said Netanyahu committed to taking steps to improve the humanitarian situation in Gaza, especially when it comes to water and sanitation.
- Kushner and Netanyahu agreed to form two working groups — one on demilitarization of Gaza and another on the humanitarian situation.
- "The gaps with the Israelis are not that great. None of us is relying on trusting Hamas," the U.S. official said. "But we think we can start doing some tangible steps. There is a ton of fearmongering as part of the political atmosphere in Israel. But if we see weapons being handed over by Hamas, that would be the first sign it is real."
- In a statement after the meeting, Netanyahu's office referred to the two working groups and noted that demilitarization would need to be completed "before reconstruction begins."
- A Board of Peace official said the meeting was "lengthy, in depth, and very productive. We agreed with [Netanyahu] on a path forward. The Israelis are going to give this a chance. Now it's up to Hamas to show if it truly intends to comply."
