Kushner to visit Israel to discuss Trump's Gaza plan

What Happened

Donald Trump's envoy and son-in-law Jared Kushner will visit Israel next week to discuss the US president's Gaza plan after Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu publicly rejected the 15-point plan, officials said on Friday. Kushner and Nickolay Mladenov, the high representative for Gaza of Trump's Board of Peace, will visit both Israel and key mediator Egypt. The plan, announced by Mladenov, included Hamas agreeing to hand over its weapons to a new Palestinian governing committee in Gaza. A Board of Peace official, speaking to AFP on condition of anonymity, said the pair hoped for 'constructive conversations' and that the US and Israel agree on the end state of a demilitarised Hamas, but would hear concerns and discuss next steps. The latest part of the plan, to which Hamas agreed in late July, would start a phased Israeli withdrawal from much of the Gaza Strip, according to an initial version released by the Board of Peace. Mladenov later backtracked and said Israel would not need to withdraw troops until complete Hamas disarmament. Netanyahu has vowed no pullout and voiced scepticism that Hamas would disarm, saying it should destroy weapons in a verifiable way. Israel has continued to carry out near daily strikes on Gaza since the ceasefire began last October.

Key Actors

Why It Matters

The visit tests whether the US Board of Peace can salvage its Gaza plan after Israel's prime minister publicly rejected it. The disagreement centres on sequencing: Israel demands verifiable Hamas disarmament before any withdrawal, while the initial plan envisaged phased Israeli withdrawal from much of the Gaza Strip. Egypt's involvement as mediator and the continuation of near daily Israeli strikes underscore the fragility of the ceasefire that began in October.

Watch For

Concrete next events to monitor include the dates and outcomes of Kushner and Mladenov's meetings in Israel and Egypt next week, any revised proposal from the Board of Peace on the withdrawal-disarmament sequence, whether Netanyahu shifts from his no-pullout vow, and any change in the frequency of Israeli strikes on Gaza during the diplomatic push.