Kushner meets Netanyahu as Israel rejects US-backed Gaza truce road map

Jerusalem,UPDATED: Aug 17, 2026 14:40 IST

US envoy Jared Kushner met Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in Jerusalem on Monday after Netanyahu rejected a 15-point, US-backed road map aimed at moving the Gaza truce deal forward. The latest push by Washington comes at a critical time, with the future of nearly 2 million Palestinians in Gaza, reconstruction of the devastated territory and control over the enclave all tied to the proposed plan.

Hamas has said it has agreed to the road map, which includes disarmament, and has urged mediators and the US-created Board of Peace to "compel" Israel to accept it as well. Israel, however, has insisted that Hamas must fully disarm before any Israeli withdrawal from Gaza can take place under the plan.

Former British Prime Minister Tony Blair and Board of Peace Director Nickolay Mladenov also attended the meeting with Netanyahu, according to a source familiar with the plans and a diplomatic source. Both spoke on condition of anonymity because the meeting was held behind closed doors. Israeli troops currently occupy about 60 per cent of Gaza, and Netanyahu has earlier threatened to push further.

The meeting followed Kushner's talks on Sunday in Egypt with Hamas chief Khalil al-Hayya, which lasted more than two hours, according to a regional official and a Hamas official. Officials from Egypt, Qatar and Turkey, which are involved in mediation efforts, were also present. The Hamas official said al-Hayya demanded that Israel stop its attacks on Gaza and pull back to the so-called "yellow line" before implementation begins. The yellow line has never been clearly defined, and Israeli forces have moved beyond it. In May, Netanyahu said the next step was to move to 70 per cent control, with Israel "tightening the grip" on Hamas "from every direction".

Pressure on Israel has also increased from the region. Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates were among several countries that issued a statement on Sunday condemning Israel's rejection of the road map, saying, "Israel now bears responsibility for obstructing the efforts to bring peace in Gaza." Other signatories included Jordan, Pakistan, Indonesia and the ceasefire mediators. The foreign ministers called on the Board of Peace and the US to take "immediate and concrete measures" to ensure that no party obstructs the plan's implementation. Israel did not immediately respond. The White House referred questions on Kushner's meetings to the Board of Peace, which did not comment. The Tony Blair Institute also did not comment.

Under the road map, Hamas would hand over its weapons to a Palestinian technocratic committee meant to oversee day-to-day administration in Gaza, though the committee has not yet entered the territory. Hamas has linked the surrender of its heaviest weapons to the creation of a Palestinian state, while the road map speaks of a "credible pathway toward achieving Palestinian self-determination and statehood", a position rejected by Israel's current government. Until the plan is agreed, other parts of the ceasefire remain on hold, including reconstruction and the deployment of international forces to separate Israeli troops from areas controlled by the committee.

Netanyahu is also facing political pressure at home ahead of the October 27 election, with his coalition including ministers who have taken a hard line on Gaza. With the anniversary of the October 7, 2023 Hamas-led attack on southern Israel approaching, the talks have gained added urgency, but it remains unclear whether Israel will take a final call on the ceasefire road map before the vote.

With PTI Inputs

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