Benjamin Netanyahu and Jared Kushner Agree on Gaza Demilitarization Strategy to Precede Reconstruction
Benjamin Netanyahu and Jared Kushner reached an agreement on Monday that the demilitarization of the Gaza Strip must begin with a Hamas weapons handover supervised by an American military general. The meeting, which included U.S. Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee and former British Prime Minister Tony Blair, aimed to revive a Gaza peace plan endorsed by President Trump and Hamas but previously rejected by Israel. Netanyahu and Kushner agreed that no reconstruction of and environmental concerns must be addressed before Hamas is fully disarmed. While the Israeli Prime Minister made it clear that the forces will not redeploy immediately, the Board of Peace established two working groups to focus on disarmament and public health issues. The diplomatic effort comes as Netanyahu faces domestic pressure from far-right factions, such as National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir, who has advocated for more targeted killings. Despite the road map's progress, Israel and the U.S. have shown public divisions over the future of the Palestinian enclave and the West Bank crisis.