U.S. Special Envoy for Peace Jared Kushner met in Egypt with the new Hamas leader Khalil al-Hayya. According to AFP sources familiar with the negotiations, the main topic was the implementation of the U.S. peace plan for the Gaza Strip. The meeting took place in the Mediterranean city of El Alamein. According to the agency, Kushner urged the Palestinian side to take "specific, verifiable steps" and conveyed Washington's position that the Gaza Strip should no longer be a source of threat to Israel. For Khalil al-Hayya, this trip was his first foreign visit since he took over Hamas in July. Shortly after the leadership change, the movement expressed support for the U.S.-proposed settlement plan, and during the current negotiations, sources say it reaffirmed its readiness to implement it. This shows that, despite ongoing disagreements, mediation efforts around Gaza continue. However, the final advancement of the initiative depends not only on Hamas's position but also on Israel's decisions. Later, Hamas announced that it had approached international mediators and the Trump Peace Council, urging them to pressure Israel to approve the proposed plan and agree on a timeline for its implementation. In a photo released by the Egyptian side from the negotiations, Jared Kushner is seen sitting at a table with members of the Peace Council, including former British Prime Minister Tony Blair. Representatives from Egypt, Qatar, and Turkey, who continue to play a key role as mediators in the negotiations, also participated in the meeting. Al-Hayya himself is absent from the published photo. In July, the Trump Peace Council announced an agreement on the disarmament of Hamas and other armed groups in the Gaza Strip. However, last week Israel rejected the 15-point plan proposed by Washington, which included the withdrawal of Israeli troops and the transfer of control of the Gaza Strip to a new Palestinian civilian administration. What is important to understand is that even with ongoing contacts between mediators and the parties to the conflict, key disagreements remain. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu previously stated that Israeli troops would not leave the Gaza Strip until Hamas is effectively disarmed. Thus, Kushner's meeting with the new Hamas leader was a significant diplomatic step, but the prospects for implementing the U.S. plan still depend on the agreement of all parties involved in the conflict.
