Likud Rejects Kushner's Account of Gaza Ceasefire Deal

The Likud party has publicly disputed claims made by former US envoy Jared Kushner regarding the negotiations that led to the Gaza ceasefire and hostage release agreement. Kushner had suggested that the US administration leveraged Israel's complex diplomatic situation and international isolation following a recent attack to pressure Jerusalem and advance the deal.

In response, Likud presented a different narrative, asserting that the primary factors compelling Hamas to agree were increased Israeli military pressure and direct, forceful engagement from then-US President Donald Trump. The party stated that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's decision to expand the military operation into Gaza City, coupled with strikes against Hamas leaders in Qatar, significantly pressured the organization's leadership.

According to Likud, Trump simultaneously exerted heavy diplomatic pressure. The party believes this combination of Israeli military action and American pressure was what caused Hamas to concede on key demands. This response aims to attribute the breakthrough to Netanyahu's assertive policy and coordination with Trump, rather than to Israel's perceived diplomatic weakness or international isolation.

The dispute highlights a broader disagreement over what drove the progress in negotiations. Kushner's version emphasizes US ability to use Israel's international standing as leverage, while Likud insists the deal resulted from intensified pressure on Hamas, not pressure on Israel. The current debate is framed as a political struggle for credit, with Likud seeking to portray the agreement as a success of sustained military pressure and strong US backing, and Kushner's account focusing on Washington's diplomatic maneuvering.