Jared Kushner meets with Hamas ahead of talks with Netanyahu on Gaza

Diplomatic efforts to salvage a stalled peace process entered a critical phase as United States negotiator Jared Kushner held direct discussions with Hamas leadership in Egypt. The talks, which took place on Sunday, 16 August 2026, in the Mediterranean city of El-Alamein, form part of a high-stakes regional push to break the deadlock surrounding a post-war plan for the Gaza Strip.

The diplomatic maneuvering comes as Egypt plays a central mediating role. Kushner, who serves as an envoy and is the son-in-law of United States President Donald Trump, met with Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi on 16 August 2026, following separate discussions between Hamas chief Khalil al-Hayya and Egyptian intelligence chief Hassan Rashad, according to regional reporting. The Hamas delegation had arrived in Egypt on the evening of 15 August 2026. Presidential spokesperson Mohamed El-Shennawy noted that the meeting between Kushner and Sisi emphasised the need for all parties to fulfil their obligations under the Gaza Strip ceasefire agreement.

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The core of the current crisis centers on a 15-point, U.S.-backed roadmap designed to revive and advance the ceasefire that ended major military operations more than 10 months prior. A previous meeting between Kushner, fellow envoy Steve Witkoff, and Hamas leaders in Egypt had helped clinch the original ceasefire. While Hamas indicated in late July that it was ready to hand over its weapons to a nascent technical committee set to govern the enclave, the agreement has stalled over disarmament timetables and troop withdrawals. Under the roadmap, Hamas would gradually surrender its arms while Israeli forces halt attacks and withdraw. However, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has rejected the plan, insisting that his military will not retreat from any position in Gaza until Hamas is completely disarmed.

According to a regional official and a Hamas official speaking on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to talk to reporters, Kushner’s rare meeting with al-Hayya lasted over two hours and included a trio of envoys alongside officials from mediating nations Qatar and Turkey. The session was intended to secure the militant group's commitment to the roadmap's disarmament provisions before Kushner travels to meet directly with Netanyahu. The Hamas delegation reaffirmed its commitment to completing the plan and waited for mediators to start a 14-day negotiation period to work out an implementation timetable, which requires approval from all parties. At the same time, the Hamas leader demanded that Israel halt attacks and withdraw to the undefined yellow line before implementation begins. Israeli forces currently control roughly 60% of the territory, and Netanyahu stated in May that the next step was to move to 70% control while tightening the grip on Hamas from every direction.

Stakes remain exceptionally high for the population of Gaza. According to Gaza’s health ministry, Israel has killed more than 1,200 Palestinians and wounded more than 4,100 since agreeing to the ceasefire on 10 October 2025. Other elements of the ceasefire remain on hold, including reconstruction and the deployment of international forces to separate Israeli forces from committee-controlled areas. Furthermore, Hamas has linked the surrender of its heaviest weapons to the creation of a Palestinian state, a condition rejected by Israel's current government.

The diplomatic friction intensified after Netanyahu publicly rejected the U.S.-backed framework in a rare show of defiance against Washington, Israel's closest ally. In response, several regional powers—including Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Jordan, Pakistan, Indonesia, and the mediating nations—issued a joint statement holding Israel responsible for obstructing peace efforts. The foreign ministers stated:

"Israel now bears responsibility for obstructing the efforts to bring peace in Gaza."

Foreign ministers of regional powers, Joint statement

The statement called on the U.S. And the U.S.-created Board of Peace to take immediate and concrete measures to enforce the plan and keep any party from obstructing implementation. Meanwhile, Netanyahu’s Likud party dismissed the regional statement on Sunday, 16 August 2026, claiming that Arab states want to topple Netanyahu so that centrist challenger Gadi Eisenkot and center-left party leader Yair Golan will give them everything they want, adding that That will not happen.

As negotiators prepare for the next round of discussions, the White House referred questions regarding the diplomatic push to the Board of Peace, which did not immediately comment on the proceedings. The Tony Blair Institute also declined to comment.

What to Watch Next

• High-Level Meetings: Jared Kushner, former British Prime Minister Tony Blair, and Board of Peace director Nickolay Mladenov are scheduled to hold closed-door talks with Benjamin Netanyahu on Monday, according to a source familiar with the plans and a diplomatic source. Contacts are also under way to arrange a meeting between the Hamas negotiating delegation, Nickolay Mladenov, and U.S. Officials.
• Political Pressures: Netanyahu faces a challenging election on 27 October as he tries to hold on to power with a coalition that includes ministers taking a harsh line on Gaza, and it’s not clear whether he will take decisive steps on the ceasefire before then. the region approaches the anniversary of the Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas-led attack on southern Israel that sparked the war. It remains unclear whether Netanyahu will take decisive steps on the ceasefire before these milestones.